Jakarta: Disadvantaged by her short height, Dutee Chand makes up for it with her quick strides, according to her coach Nagapuri Ramesh, who also credited a gruelling speed rubber training regimen for her two silver medals at the Asian Games here.
“Her start is natural, she has got very good frequency (of steps), so we worked hard on the first 30-40 metres. This season, I asked Dutee to practice with the speed rubber to enhance speed,” Ramesh told this agency here, Thursday.
The regimen involves wearing a band just above the knees to increase resistance while performing training drills and workouts. The drill is believed to enhance muscle power and agility which in turn helps the sprinter accelerate.
Full credit to Dutee, she fought on the track and in her life too. Now the target is to achieve a sub-11 time before the Tokyo Olympics
Nagapuri Ramesh – Dutee Chand’s coach
“If you do it regularly, it helps you run with the same intensity in the competition,” Ramesh informed. “It’s not easy to maintain balance when you run with rubber tied to your body. It is very technical training. First you perform drills, then easy running and then high speed,” explained Ramesh.
The 22-year old from Bhubaneshwar started practicing with the rubber after the Guwahati Nationals in June this year. “Before she started using rubber, she would cover the first 40 metres in 4.95 seconds and after using it, the time was reduced to 4.80s. In sprints like 100m, it is crucial time,” asserted Ramesh.
Ramesh is proud of her ward who, he said, has immense fighting spirit as she fought alone and never thought of giving up.
“When India’s 100m history sheets will be looked at, it will show that before her medal, there was just one silver and two bronze in 17 editions since 1951. This medal has come after 20 years. Full credit to Dutee, she fought on the track and in her life too,” Ramesh pointed out.
Dutee has a national record of 11.29s and the coach is now targeting a sub-11 time in the run up to the Tokyo Games. “She is only 22, maturity will come. That’s our aim, before Tokyo, we want sub-11. With that time she will make finals, at least,” Ramesh said.