Odisha woman sprinter Dutee Chand created history by meeting the qualification mark in 100m event for Rio Olympics at Almaty in Kazakhstan today. She achieved the feat in the 26th G Kosanov Memorial International Athletics Meet, clocking 11.30 seconds in the heats. The qualification mark for Rio Olympics was set at 11.32 seconds.

Dutee then ran an even better 11.24 seconds in the finals to win a silver medal. In the process, the Odisha sprinter bettered her own national record of 11.33secs which she set at Federation Cup National Championships at New Delhi earlier this year in April.

Dutee became the first Indian woman to qualify for the event since qualification started for the event. PT Usha had qualified for the event in 1980 Olympics. Overall, four Indian women have taken part in the 100m dash in the Olympics -- Nilima Ghosh and Mary D`Souza (1952), Mary Leela Rao (1956) and Usha (1980). Dutee is the 20th Indian track and field athlete to have qualified for Rio Games.

Kudos and cash awards followed Dutee for her historic achievement. Odisha Cricket Association and Odisha Athletic Association announced Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively, while Odisha Olympic Association declared Rs 50,000.

Odisha athletes made the country proud by grabbing two more medals in the Almaty Meet. Dutee and her statemate Srabani Nanda were part of the 4x100m women relay team that secured siver medal with a timing of 44.10 seconds, while sprinter Amiya Kumar Mallick helped Indian 4x100m male relay squad pocket the gold medal, clocking 39.86 seconds.
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PHOTO: Dutee Chand with coach N Ramesh in Almaty on June 25, 2016.