Paris 2024 Olympics: What is Kiran Pahal's personal best in 400m?
Kiran Pahal will represent India in the women's 400m event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on August 5 at the 80,000 seater Stade de France.
Pahal achieved her personal best in June this year at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Panchkula. She clocked 50.92s in the women’s 400m semi-finals to breach the Paris qualification mark of 50.95s. It was an impressive feat as it was her first competition after an eight-month gap.
With this performance, she booked her spot to become the first female athlete from India after Nirmal Sheoran at the 2016 Rio Olympics to participate in the 400m event. Furthermore, Pahal became the second-fastest Indian athlete in the women's 400m after Hima Das, who set the national record with a timing of 50.79s at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Pahal was also in contention to feature in the women's 4x400 relay event, but the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) decided to prioritize national campers.
She helped register a first-place finish with a timing of 3:12.87 in the mixed 4x400 relay event at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2024. However, the quartet of Kiran Pahal, Muhammed Anas, Jyothika Sri Dandi, and Muhammed Ajma missed the Paris qualification mark of 3:11.88.
Past performances of Kiran Pahal
As per a report by Sportstar, Kiran Pahal does not have any sponsors and trains under Akaash Chikara, while also getting guidance from senior runner Hima Das.
The quarter-miler is a four-time national champion, achieving the feat for the first time in the India Open Championship in Ranchi in 2019. She also secured national titles in the 4x400 relay event in the same event and the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships in Patiala.
The Indian National Games 2022 in Gujarat saw her return with her best-ever performance in the 4x400 relay event, where she helped clock 3:35.86 for a second-place finish.
Coming into the Paris Olympics with fine performances, Pahal will look to script history. It will be her first appearance at a global event of such significance, as she still hasn't featured at the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games.