Good Sports: SPRINTING OVER OBSTACLES
Having never broken 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash, Dutee Chand is a longshot to win a medal at the Rio Games—but she has already achieved so much, both on and off the track. Finishing a qualifying heat in 11.30 seconds, she became only the second Indian sprinter to qualify for the Olympics in the 100m dash, matching the feat of P.T. Usha in 1980.
To get a shot at the Olympics, she had to appeal a suspension that would have barred her from competition for having higher-than-normal levels of testosterone. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in her favor, keeping her medal hopes alive.
“It has been a tough year and I am so happy that my hard work has paid off,” Chand told BBC News. “I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off.”
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