It’s said in gymnasium back rooms, in the dugouts, in the bellies of stadiums, even among the frustrated elite athletes who believed they would never lose – the difference between a podium finish and the also-rans is the contrast between victory and glory. Reach for glory and you grab the stars, pluck the medals. Everyone in the Olympic programme aims for victory; but exactly three get on the podium of those who ran, jumped, fenced, shot, cycled or whatever, into Olympic glory.
When India’s track and field athletes line up, they do understand the difference. But it’s also unfair to thrust so much pressure on a bunch of whom realistically only one has the capability to understand the difference between victory and glory. It’s unrealistic to line them up in a hierarchy of sorts.
Did anyone believe that 47 years back, while the afternoon sun still had the packed Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in its warm embrace, the Canadian fans and international athletes watched a slim 5’10 Indian taking on Cuba’s legendary track star Alberto Juantorena, also known as El Caballo (The Horse) lead in the opening lap of the 800m. Now, if Sriram Singh had hung on for 350 metres more, glory would have been India’s. Juantorena won the 800m and then picked up the 400m gold becoming the only athlete in history to have both Olympic titles. Later, he credited Sriram for helping him break the world record with a timing of 1:43.50.
Neeraj Chopra Is the Consistent Catalyst, While Expectation Hovers Around Sable, Yarraji & Co.
In track and field, that glory arrived when Neeraj Chopra threw the javelin 87.58m at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to win Olympic gold and only the second Indian, after shooter Abhinav Bindra, to win an individual gold medal.
Chopra has been a consistent catalyst.
The 27-member strong track and field contingent will hopefully come back breaking their personal best and some will move into their respective finals.
On top of that list is Avinash Sable in the 3000m steeplechase, followed by Parul Chaudhary in the 3K steeplechase and the 5000m. A lot of expectation hovers around Jyothi Yarraji, for whom reaching the 100m hurdles final will be a huge leap forward for Indian track, despite the fact that PT Usha (1984, 400m hurdles) and Lalita Babar (2016, 3000m steeplechase) have earlier qualified for the final.
Yarraji’s coach James Hillier does believe that reaching the women’s Olympic final will be as good as gold. “That should set her up for further conquests and looking forward to the major championships thereafter,” he said.
Avinash Sable Is Confident
A sweat-drenched Sable, at the Inter-State in Panchkula last month, said he was confident for Paris.
This year I am working out differently. Every year I used to start my season early, in April-May in steeplechase, and before a major event when I should have competed more to check my preparations I used to focus on training. This year, I have started late and will be peaking gradually for the Olympics.Avinash Sable
Sable competed in the Paris Diamond League (7 July), where he broke his own national record with a timing of 8:09.91; the previous best was 8:11.20 clocked at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, two years back. At the Diamond League in Paris, Sable finished 6th.
Parul Chaudhary's Plan
Parul also plans to peak in Paris. Her schedule is packed with both 5000m and 3000m steeplechase. She would have come into competition early in the season but for a twisted ankle. Recovery took time and easing back onto the track in an Olympic year is not easy.
Actually, I wanted to open my season in May, but my ankle was twisted 5-6 days before in the practice. So, we changed the plan suddenly to do 5000m, and I did 5000m after a week. After 2 weeks, the coach planned to do steeplechase again and I did 9:31.38 (Portland Track festival) and the confidence returned. Like last time, I did well in the world championship and in the Asian Games and before that, I played 4-5 competitions. So, it’s a similar plan before Paris.Parul Chaudhary
Expectations From Jyothi Yarraji Have Risen
After Yarraji’s silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, expectations have risen. At the Inter-State in Panchkula, Yarraji after winning the gold said:
I ran 13.06s because of him (James Hillier). It's not just the training; it's the mindset he instils. He never taught me to beat someone or to run beyond my capacity. That is the most important aspect. During preparation and everything we do for competition, we have to manage our minds. He never talks about the medal; he always talks about what you can achieve on the track and staying injury-free.Jyothi Yarraji
Generation Aura
Most athletes will be competing against themselves. Focus, confidence and keeping that mental clock going is what pushes you to the fore; whether it is Chopra looking for his 2nd consecutive javelin gold medal or Kishore Jena, trying to hit the top six in the javelin final to create that one throw that could catapult him to glory.
The 4x400m men’s relay team will be trying to go better than what they achieved at the Budapest World Championships – 5th place. Jeswin Aldrin, surrounded more by doubts, will be willing to find the conviction to jump beyond his best of 8.42m. Tajiinderpal Singh Toor, twice Asian Games gold medallist with a personal best of 21.77, will be hoping to make it to the final and try for a top six glory; and Annu Rani who trained in Germany before jetting off to Paris, earlier picked up a bronze at the Commonwealth Games and then a gold at the Asian Games, will hope that destiny turns her way in Paris and her personal best of 63.24 is shattered for her to take a shot at the podium.
Athletes like Chopra, Sable, Yarraji, Toor have this aura of unself-consciousness. This generation of athletes and the ones being nurtured are probably in the twilight that divides victory and glory.
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