How Indian sprinters are shattering long-standing barriers
It took Indian sprinters nine years to lower the national benchmark from 10.26 seconds to 10.20. Now, in the span of just 24 hours, they have shattered that barrier — first 10.17, then 10.15, and now 10.09. On Saturday evening in Ranchi, Gurindervir Singh — who had cruised to 10.17 seconds in Friday’s heats — blew apart the field in the final to clock the fastest 100m ever run by an Indian. One of the key architects behind this sprinting revolution has been James Hillier, head coach of the sprints programme at Reliance Foundation. “I always knew if we followed the process, the Indian sprinters would improve. The talent has always been there; it was about breaking the barrier, and once that happens, you see regular improvements,” Hillier said with a palpable excitement on his face. For the larger part of the 21st century, Indian sprinting hovered in the 10.30s range, with timings in the 10.40s and 10.50s often enough to secure podium finishes at national meets. But once Amlan Borgohain broke through the 10.25 …
