CHENNAI: On Saturday, Hima Das won her fifth gold since July 2. Running her first 400m event in more than four months, she created a new meet record at the Mezinarodni Atleticky Mitink. She clocked 52.09 in an all-Indian final also comprising the returning MR Poovamma, who finished fourth. This follows the gold she won at Athletics Grand Prix, Poznan (200m, July 2), Mityng o Roze Kutna, Kutno (200m, July 7), hazi a Kladenske memorialy (200m July 13) and Velka cena Tabora, Tabor (200m, July 17). 

But while gold is gold, it will be prudent to take a closer look at the competitions she has taken part in before getting too euphoric. Going by her standards, gold is the only medal she could have won. Sure, the 19-year-old is a great talent. That much is not in doubt; a junior world champion in the 400m, she is already the national record holder in the discipline. The Assamese, already a two-time Asian Games medallist, has the potential to become an elite athlete. But the results of the last five meets cannot be used as a yardstick to arrive at her current international standing.  

The start lists of the four 200m races reveal some curious things — out of the 17 competitors she faced, none has a higher personal best than South Africa’s Tamzin Thomas with 23.12 seconds (for perspective, 86 women athletes have gone faster than that this year alone). In the third race, ‘hazi a Kladenske memorialy’ at Kladno, she finished first in a field of four (there were two athletes who did not start).

The start list of the 400m, Hima’s pet event, was a similar story. Curiously enough, some of the 17 athletes aren’t even regular 200m runners. A few, like Peru’s Diana Bazalar, who ran in the third race at Kladno, is a 100m hurdler. Since the beginning of 2015, she has competed in 47 100mH events and two 200m competitions as per IAAF’s results page. 

Another, Ewa Ochocka, is a 60m runner, like several of the other runners. Monika Weigertova’s example explains this the best. After competing in shot put and javelin for two years, she returned to the track in 2018. But the 200m isn’t a priority event for her. All this is to suggest that Hima is a cut above her competitors at the Czech Republic and Poland.

If that’s one part, the other part is even more indicative of the level of competition. The IAAF recognises 10 categories of events rated from highest to lowest — OW (the best), DF, GW, FL, A, B, C, D, E and F (the worst). The meets on July 2 and 7 — Athletics Grand Prix and Mityng o Roze Kutna — is rated ‘F’ by IAAF. The next two — hazi a Kladenske memorialy, Kladno and Velka cena Tabora, Tabor — is rated ‘E’. The one on Saturday is also an ‘E’. So, to know the true standing of Hima and other athletes, wait till the Worlds in September-October. 

AFI explanation
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), however, felt since this was not the time to peak, these competitions help athletes get into shape. According to a top official, there is also risk of injuries if they enter into big events. “The athletes will start peaking from around mid-August and they will start competing in bigger events later that month. This will help them at the Worlds,” said the official.