ATHLETICS | Quartermiler Priya is back and hungry for fast timings

Priya Mohan with her coach Anier Garcia, the former 110m hurdles Olympic champion from Cuba.
| Photo Credit: Stan Rayan

Last June, just as she was mentally preparing for the Inter-State Nationals in Bhubaneswar, quartermiler Priya Mohan felt a sharp pain in her chest and shoulders. She was training at the JSW’s Inspire Institute of Sport and was rushed to a hospital. Test results indicated that she had a rare lung condition, a case of collapsed lungs.

She had to undergo surgery, was in ICU for five days and had to take one-and-half month’s rest.

“I was devastated, I was crying all the time because I had missed out on the Asian Games. I did not even care about the issues in my life,” Priya, last year’s Federation Cup champion, told The Hindu from Ballari.

“Then I thought, may be God has different plans for me. I just need to be patient and see what happens.”

That phase was one of the toughest in the young girl’s life.

“After the surgery, I was at home in Bengaluru for nearly one-and-half months and for a couple of weeks I could not even raise my right hand. I had sleepless nights. Even when I resumed training in August, whenever the intensity increased, I used to get chest pain and pain in the ribs. I used to do yoga and other exercises,” said Priya, who turned 21 on Friday.

Priya, who was fourth in the 400m at the 2021 under-20 Worlds, is back and healthy now, and she is hungry to get back to fast timings soon. She will be making her comeback at the 400m Indian Open in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

Almost all the country’s top quartermilers, including 2022 under-20 Worlds 400m bronze medallist Rupal Chaudhary, who is returning after an injury, will be in action and Priya’s return will be closely watched. The Olympics is not far away and the girls will be hoping to make the cut for Paris in the relays, mixed and women’s.

“I’ve completely forgotten what competition is, so I just want to run my own race, not focus on anyone,” said Priya, who is coached by Cuban Anier Garcia, the 2000 Olympics 110m hurdles gold medallist at the IIS.

“My coach has given me a target of 53 to 54s for a start. I want to get the individual qualification for the Olympics (50.95s), that was my aim when I started. I have to qualify by the time of the inter-State meet.”