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Indian Athlete K M Deeksha Sets New National Record in 1500m Race
Indian track athlete K M Deeksha created history on May 11 by breaking the national women's record in the 1,500-metre race at the Sound Running Track Fest in Los Angeles. She finished third in the final, clocking an impressive time of 4:04.78. This remarkable achievement surpassed the previous record of 4:05.39 set by Harmilan Bains at the National Open Athletics Championships in 2021.
Born on January 1, 1999, in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, the 25-year-old Deeksha has been training under coach S K Prasad at the Madhya Pradesh Athletics Academy for the past five years. Despite facing gender barriers that hindered her entry into the military, Deeksha found her calling in athletics, with strong encouragement from her parents and unwavering support from her mother.
Deeksha made her debut in the 800-metre (clocking 2:14.46) and 1,500-metre (clocking 4:37.32) races in Lucknow in August 2019. Her latest 800-metre performance saw her clocking 2:04.35. Her journey in athletics began on a 200-metre track in her hometown, where she won a state-level championship.
Prior to her record-breaking run in Los Angeles, Deeksha's personal best was 4:06.07, which she achieved while winning gold in the final of the National Inter-State Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in 2023. The national record before Bains was held by Sunita Rani, who clocked 4:06:03 at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
In October 2023, Deeksha marked a time of 4:27.77 in the 1,500-metre women's race at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. She is currently ranked World Number 192 in women's 1,500 metres.
At the same event in Los Angeles, fellow Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary finished fifth in the women’s 5000m with a time of 15:10.69, while Ankita came in 10th with a time of 15:28.88.
Deeksha's incredible performance has not only set a new national benchmark but also inspired countless athletes across the country. Congratulations to K M Deeksha for her outstanding achievement.
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