Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha (born June 27, 1964 in Payyoli, Kozhikode, Kerala, India) popularly known as P. T. Usha, is an first Indian woman athlete to reach the final of an Olympic event in Los Angeles Olympics 1984.
P. T. Usha has been associated with Indian athletics since 1979. She is regarded as one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced and is often called the "queen of Indian track and field". She is also known as Golden Girl & the Payyoli Express. Currently she runs the Usha School of Athletics at Koyilandy in Kerala. She is employed as an officer in the Southern Railways.
In 1979 P. T. Usha participated in the National School Games, where she was noticed by O. M. Nambiar, who coached her throughout her career. Her debut in the 1980 Moscow Olympics proved lacklustre.
In the 1982 New Delhi Asiad, she got the silver medal in the 100m and the 200m, but at the Asian Track and Field Championship in Kuwait a year later, Usha took the gold in the 400m with a new Asian record.
In Los Angeles Olympics 1984, P. T. Usha finished first in the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles, but faltered in the finals. There was a nail-biting photo finish for the third place. Usha lost the bronze by 1/100th of a second. She became the first Indian woman and the fifth Indian to reach the final of an Olympic event by winning her 400m hurdles semi-final.
In 1985 Asian Track and Field Meet at Jakarta, Indonesia, Usha secured 5 gold medals, in the 100, 200, and 400 metre sprints, the 400m hurdles, and the 4x400m relay. She also earned a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay. This is the current record for most gold medals earned by a female in a single track meet.
In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P. T. Usha won 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the track and field events and created new Asian Games records in all the events in which she participated. She won five golds at the 6th Asian Track and Field Championship at Jakarta in 1985. Her six medals at the same meet is a record for a single athlete in a single international meet.
From 1983-89, Usha garnered 13 golds at ATF meets. Usha has won 101 international medals so far. Usha retired from Athletics and married V.Srinivasan in the year 1991, but to the surprise of everybody she made a sudden comeback in the year 1998 at the Asian Track Federation Meet held at Fukkowakka in Japan and won Bronze Medals in 200m and 400m races. She also improved her own timing in 200m race and set a new National Record.
P. T. Usha Recipient of the Arjuna Award & Padma Shri Award 1984. Currently she coaches young athletes at her training academy in Kerala, including Tintu Luka, who was qualified for the women's semi-final 800m at the London 2012 Olympics.
