Name: Anilda ThomasDiscipline: Relay 4x400m
India’s fastest 400 meters (woman) runner, Anilda Thomas made it to the national Olympics relay squad despite opting out from the national camp under Ukrainian coach, Yuri Ogorodnik.
Earlier this year, Anilda had received a threatening mail from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), urging her to join the national camp to train with the dope-tainted national coach.In 2011 India’s biggest doping scandal broke out.
That year, six relay runners who were being coached by Ogorodnik were suspended for two years after they failed dope tests.Apprehensive about his bad repute, Anilda had a good reason to maintain her distance from the national camp when Yuri Ogorodnik was returning to the country last year.
Anilda instead chose to train with Kerala state coach PB Jaikumar in Thiruvananthapuram and it’s a good thing she did cause the 23-year-old quarter-miler’s blossomed under his guidance. Anilda won the women’s 400m gold in the Indian Grand Prix in April this year, beating Asian championship silver medallist M.R. Poovamma.
