Middle-distance runner Tintu Luka has managed to produce decent results despite limitations, her mentor P.T. Usha has said.
The 28-year-old Tintu has won a 4x400m gold and 800m silver at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, in addition to a bronze (800m) at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
She also has six medals at the Asian Championships but has struggled at the World Championships, unable to make an impression against the worlds finest. She finished 15th in Daegu (South Korea, 2011) getting eliminated in the 800m semi-finals and 19th in Beijing (2015), where she could not proceed beyond the heats.
In the 2013 World Championship in Moscow, she only competed in the 4x400m relay and was part of the team that finished 15th.
Legendary sprinter Usha said she shouldn’t be held responsible for Tintu’s average success at global meets and strongly objected to suggestions that an overseas coach can help her improve.
“For me it’s not a problem but show me one foreign coach who has come here, trained Indian athletes and has delivered medals (at World Championship and Olympics)?” Usha asked.
‘Since the year 2000, foreign coaches are training Indians, are there any Olympic medals? Are you saying that if Tintu trains under a foreign coach, she will get a medal,” Usha was quoted as saying.
“It is up to Tintu, not me (to decide on her future). She is a senior Asiad medallist, Jessy Joseph is junior Asian Championship gold medallist, Jisna Matthew (Indian relay team member) is also there. Lot of others are coming up,” she said in defence of her training methods.
Usha also explained how she has been trying out different strategies to help Tintu improve.
“We are trying different methods with her but it is not suiting Tintu. 800 metres is not same for all,” Usha said.
Tintu has been criticised for taking an initial lead in a race but failing to capitalise on it, losing intensity in the final 200m.
Usha said Tintu’s brisk start to a race is the best-suited option for her. She will continue with that strategy in the upcoming World Championship in London.
“She is not comfortable when she goes slow. If she goes slow and try to accelerate later, her muscles get stiff, not giving her the pull (required during finishing stage).”
Usha defended Tintu’s 29th-place finish at the Rio Olympics, citing ill health.
“Last Olympics, she had a bronchial infection and 800m runners need more oxygen. It was difficult for her but she did it in two minutes, which is a world-class time. So, if she goes fast, she will be capable of performing better,” she said.
“She was in good form before Rio. You see her physique, she is very short, lot of limitations are there but still she is trying.”
