Two days after the Court of Arbitration for Sport suspended the IAAF Hyperandrogenism Regulations for two years and allowed sprinter Dutee Chand to compete in international events, the Athletics Federation of India sprang a surprise by announcing a plan to put the youngster in women’s 4x400m relay squad instead of her favourite events, the 100m and the 200m.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday evening, the AFI, which had written to the SAI to conduct a “gender test” on Dutee leading to her suspension for hyperandrogenism last year, said it welcomed the CAS decision, and requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to include Dutee in the National camp.
“The AFI is pleased that Dutee can pursue her athletics dreams once again, and we will extend our full support to help her fulfil her aspirations,” said the statement quoting AFI president Adille J. Sumariwalla.
Best chanceAccording to Sumariwalla, the AFI experts feel that Dutee’s best chance of qualifying for next year’s Rio Olympics is in the women’s 4x400m relay event, in which India is the reigning Asian Games record-holder.
“I spoke to Dutee yesterday and suggested that, keeping in mind the Rio Olympics next year, she should train for the 4x400 women’s relay,” said Sumariwalla.
Roadmap to Rio“Dutee can train with the women’s 4x400m relay campers under Yuri Ogorodnik. Our experts discussed the various options for Dutee’s roadmap to Rio.
“The qualifying marks for the Rio Olympics for the women’s 100m and 200m are 11.32 seconds and 23.20 seconds, and it may be out of her reach with just a year left (for the Olympics) since her personal bests in the two events are 11.62 seconds and 23.56,” said the AFI president.
“They (AFI experts) are of the opinion that it will be a bigger challenge for her to qualify in the 100m and 200m individual events under the circumstances than the 4x400m relay squad where she has to only be one in six runners, and could hence make it to the TOP scheme also.”
The AFI president did not name the experts, though.
