Anu Raghavan (born 20 April 1993) is an Indian sprinter who competes in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles events.

Anu Raghavan
Raghavan with the 400m hurdles silver medal at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships
Personal information
Born (1993-04-20) 20 April 1993 (age 31)
Palakkad, Kerala, India
Sport
Country India
SportTrack and field
Event(s)400 metres, 400 metres hurdles
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  India
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 Bhubaneswar 400m hurdles


Asian Games
2018 Jakarta-Palembang 400m hurdles

In 2016, she filed a case in the Kerala High Court against Athletics Federation of India (AFI), after having been left out of the Indian 4 × 400 metres relay team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, calling it a battle against "corruption and nepotism within the Federation."[1][2] She stated that she was left out of the Olympics contingent as well as the South Asian Games contingent earlier that year because she "chose to train outside the national camp."[3]

Raghavan won the silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles event at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships, clocking a time of 57.22 seconds.

[4]

Raghavan won the bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang where she clocked a timing of 56.92. She was awarded the medal after the Gold medal winner Kemi Adekoya from Bahrain was disqualified due to the consumption of a banned substance.

Career

edit
International Performance[5]
Date Competition Event Country Category Race Position Result
12 July 2012 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics 400m Hurdles Spain C H4 7 1:01.14
8 July 2013 Kazan Universiade 400m Hurdles Russia B H1 6 1:02.74
4 June 2015 2015 Asian Athletics Championships 400m Hurdles China

4

57.79
6 June 2015 2015 Asian Athletics Championships 400m Hurdles China A F 4 57.79
11 June 2016 Erzurum 400m Turkey F F2 1 55.18
12 June 2016 Erzurum Sprint/Relay Challenge Cup 4x400 Metres Relay Turkey F F 2 3:34.72
18 June 2016 Kędzierzyn-Koźle 400m Poland F F1 1 54.27
24 June 2016 Bydgoszcz 400m Poland F F 4 53.72
7 July 2017 2017 Asian Athletics Championships 400m Hurdles India GL H2 3 58.26
8 July 2017 2017 Asian Athletics Championships 400m Hurdles India GL F 2 57.22
28 July 2018 Czech Athletics Championships 400m Hurdles Czech Republic B H4 3 59.36
15 August 2018 Czech Athletics Championships 400m Hurdles Czech Republic F F 2 57.43
26 August 2018 2018 Asian Games 400m Hurdles Indonesia A H2 3 56.77
27 August 2018 2018 Asian Games 400m Hurdles Indonesia A F 3[6] 56.92


Personal Bests[5]
Discipline Performance Place Date Results Score
200 Metres 25.12 Patiala 28 December 2013 931
400 Metres 53.54 New Delhi 29 April 2016 1067
400 Metres Hurdles 56.77 Jakarta 26 August 2018 1118
4x400 Metres Relay 3:34.72 Erzurum 12 June 2016 1099

Rio Olympics 2016

edit

Despite being a member of the World Championship 2015, Beijing and Asian Meet 2015 at Wulan, China, Raghavan was excluded from the 4 x 400 relay team set to represent India at the Rio Olympics 2016. Her petition alleged that the AFI as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI), based on recommendations made by Yuri Ogorodnik- the national track and field coach- picked a slower and dope-tainted Ashwini Akkunji instead of Raghavan.

The Rio-bound team consisted of M. R. Poovamma, Nirmala Sheoran, Anilda Thomas and Debashree Mazumdar, with two 'reserve' spots contested by Raghavan, Akkunji, Priyanka Pawar and Jisna Mathew. The AFI and Ogorodnik later came to the decision that the spots be given away to Mathew and Akkunji.

Claiming injustice, Raghavan sought legal resort and filed a petition with the Kerala High Court, which later directed the AFI to include Raghavan in the team. However, the AFI claimed that the last date for inclusion of athletes had already passed. She also said that the AFI cited Akkunji's experience as the criterion for her selection,"but they are defending her with her performance record from six years back".[5]

In November 2015, the AFI also asked Raghavan to join a national camp, and any athlete who fails to fails to attend the camp would not be considered for the Olympics. Raghavan, however, pointed out that her post-graduate education would be adversely impacted if she attends the camp, which solicited no response from the AFI.

References

edit
  1. ^ Singh, Navneet (22 July 2016). "Athlete Anu Raghavan goes to court over Rio relay team omission". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Nepotism cost me Olympics spot, alleges Anu Raghavan". Manorama Online. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  3. ^ AS, Shan (2 June 2017). "Revenge and record for Anu in grudge race". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  4. ^ Misra, Sundeep (9 July 2017). "Asian Athletics Championships: Anu Raghavan proves a point with silver, Sudha Singh secures gold". Firstpost. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Raghavan ANU | Profile | iaaf.org". www.iaaf.org. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Asiad champion tests positive, Anu Raghavan to get 400m hurdles bronze - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
edit