Usha eyes success at Sydney Olympics

Replying to a query, Usha said that key to her success was sheer hard work and not doping. “The athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs cannot do better for a long,” she said.

Usha said a woman athlete can perform better even after marriage and child birth. And this statement suggested that she had no retirement plans on her mind, at least for the time being.

In her bid to excel at the Sydney Olympics, she has decided to concentrate on 200m sprint only. Before she goes Down Under, she would like to perform her best at the Asian Track and Field Meet in Jakarta prior to the Olympics. She wants to go under 23 seconds.

Usha termed her comeback as one of the best. “I was criticised heavily for coming back to the game after marriage and birth of my child but I have proved my critics wrong and will continue to do that,” she thundered.

Going down memory lane, she recalled her childhood when she took up the sport. “My coach Nambiar worked hard for me and so did I for him. It’s a two-way action. Both coach and the trainee must work hard for better results”.

When asked why the Indian athletes fail to break her National mark, Usha replied, “it needs hard work and dedication and the Indian juniors lack these factors. And, this has been happening despite convenient coaching programmes and better facilities.”

After retirement, Usha said, she wanted to impart training to budding athletes in Kerala. A few days back she had submitted the project report ofthe proposed Usha School of Athletics to the Kerala Chief Minister EK Nayanar.

A boarding school for budding athletes below 11 years was part of her dream, she said.