Outside lane, inside history: M. D. Valsamma and the race that changed Indian athletics

M. D. Valsamma was walking through the ornate corridors of the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai a few hours before she was set to receive the Lifetime Achievement award at the Sportstar Aces Awards. She asked the writer who else would be attending the event later in the day. The mention of P. T. Usha brought a sparkle to her eyes.

Valsamma was born near Alakode in Kannur district as the youngest of 10 siblings. Her tryst with athletics began in Grade 8 at Alakode NSS High School. “My sisters were studying in the same school. They used to participate in sports events and bring home prizes. So, I thought I could do it too,” the sprinter told Sportstar.

A bronze medal at a State-level Championship during her school years opened the door for her to move to Mercy College, Palakkad. Around this time, the Kerala government started a sports hostel for the first time in the country, and Valsamma was part of the first batch. It was here that she met Usha, one year her junior, for the first time.

Valsamma and Usha were part of a golden generation of women athletes from Kerala who helped raise India’s profile at continental events. The duo, along with State-mate Shiny Abraham (now Shiny Wilson), formed three-quarters of the 4x400m relay team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, with Vandana Rao of Karnataka as the fourth member. The quartet made history by qualifying for the final, eventually finishing seventh.

“The four of us knew that we could run well. After the heats, the Americans were asking, ‘Are there sports in India?’ For us, there was nothing to lose,” Valsamma said. “Puma was our sponsor for the Olympics. The spikes we wore were new. My toes were full of blisters and bleeding when I finished the race. Despite that, we ran a very good relay,” she recalled. The same team also won gold at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, setting a Games record in the process.

M.D. Valsamma received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Diana Edulji and Jayen Mehta (MD Amul) during Sportstar Aces awards held in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit:
EMMANUAL YOGINI

Valsamma also holds the distinction of being just the second Indian woman to win gold at the Asian Games, after Kamaljit Sandhu (1974), with her victory in the 400m hurdles at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. “I came first in the heats with an Indian record and the Asian Games record. Then my coach told me there was a chance for a medal. But he also said there was a problem. We had been allocated the outside lane,” Valsamma said.

The Asian Games record-setting women’s 4 x 400 metre relay team from India poses on the victory stand after their final race in Seoul on October 05, 1986. Pictured are M.D. Valsamma, Vandana Rao, Shiny Kurishinkal Abraham and P.T. Usha.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU ARCHIVES

“It was very difficult to see the other seven runners from there. Without seeing anybody from the starting block, I cleared the first seven hurdles. By the time I reached the ninth hurdle, I saw that the Japanese and Chinese athletes were ahead. I thought if it continued like this, I would not get a medal. I went all out in the home stretch and won. It was a historic moment,” she said.

The Sportstar Aces celebrated the pioneering efforts of Valsamma, from her journey through the first sports hostel to the top step of the podium at the Asian Games, which has undoubtedly inspired generations of track and field athletes in the state. The 65-year-old met her old friend Usha, now the IOA president, after the awards night. The duo also caught up with Shiny in the city the following day, as seen in a photo shared on X, bringing together once again the three pioneering sprinters who taught Kerala to dream.

Published on Mar 26, 2026