Hima Das (born 9 January 2000), nicknamed the Dhing Express, is an Indian sprinter from the state of Assam. She holds the current Indian national record in 400 metres with a timing of 50.79 s that she clocked at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. She is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships.
Career-
In April 2018, Das competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia, in the 400 metres and the 4×400 metres relay.
On 12 July 2018, Das won the 400 m final at the World U-20 Championships 2018 held at Tampere, Finland, clocking a superb 51.46 seconds and becoming the first Indian sprinter to win a gold medal at an international track event.
At the 2018 Asian Games, Das qualified for the 400 m final, after clocking 51.00 in heat 1 and setting a new Indian national record.On 26 August 2018 she improved the national record to 50.79 s in the 400 m final however she could win only the silver medal. Later on 30 August 2018, she, along with M. R. Poovamma, Sarita Gayakwad and V. K. Vismaya, won the women’s 4 × 400 metres relay clocking 3:28.72. Hima also won a silver medal in the 4 × 400 m mixed relayames-2018-day-10-mixed-relay-results Asian Games: Indian Mixed 4x400m Relay Team Bags Silver Medal]. The Quint (Updated 29 August 2018) The medal was later upgraded to gold after Bahrain team was suspended due to doping violations.
Das continued her success in 2019 winning the 200m gold in Poznan Grand Prix in Poland, on 2 July 2019, with a time of 23.65 seconds.
On 13 July, she won 200m gold at the Kladno Meet in the Czech Republic with a time of 23.43 seconds.
On 20 July 2019, she achieved her third gold in a month, and fifth gold, in her 400-meter race in Nové Město, Czech Republic completing the race in 52.09 seconds.
She was named for the World championships to be held at Doha in October 2019. However a month before, she was ruled out of participation due to a back problem, that had started right after she competed at the Asian games the previous year.
Awards-
- Conferred with Arjuna Award by the President of India on 25 September 2018.
- Das appeared in India’s famous TV reality-show conducted by actor Amitabh Bachchan called Kaun Banega Crorepati on 1 November 2019.
- Das is the second athlete from Assam after Bhogeswar Baruah to win a gold medal at an international event.
