How Kamalpreet Kaur rose to the occasion in Olympic year
The 25-year-old became the first Indian female discus thrower to breach the 66m mark and looks poised to make a splash at her first Olympics
Kamalpreet Kaur remembers being intimidated of fellow Indian discus thrower Seema Punia during the Federation Cup in March earlier this year. Punia’s reputation as one of the best in the discipline preceded her. But Kamalpreet outdid her idol on the day, hurling the discus to a distance 65.06m to qualify for the Tokyo 2020.
She became the first Indian woman to breach the 65m mark in discus throw. Three months later, she pushed the envelope further – to 66.59m.
It was remarkable progress for a woman who had happily stayed in the shadow of the likes of Punia and Krishna Poonia all these years.
“When I threw over 65 meters, I could not believe it,” Kamalpreet, who hails from Kabarwala village in Punjab’s Sri Muktsar Sahib district, told Scroll after qualifying for Tokyo 2020. “I had been throwing 62 meters at best during the training sessions.”
Kamalpreet had turned to sport mainly because she wasn’t doing very well at academics. She had started as a shot-put athlete, and even now dreams of becoming a professional cricketer. But discus throw is where she seems to have found her niche.
“My father is a farmer. As it happens in villages, girls are under pressure to get married at a very early age,” she said to Scroll. “I knew that if I don’t do well in academics and am not able to make it to a good college, my fate would be the same. However, I was determined not to meet that fate. I wanted to do something different. So I thought sports would be my ticket to a job and avoiding marriage.”
She was the Under-18 and Under-20 national champion, and won the 2019 edition of the Federation Cup with a throw of 60.25m. But at the Federation Cup this March, she defied all expectations, adding almost five meters to the distance she achieved in 2019.
Her record-breaking effort is even more impressive given that it came after a tough training period during the pandemic.
“I used the double bed at home as weights. The bed is filled with clothes so I used it for my deadlift exercises,” she told the Indian Express in March 2021. “I used the flower pots at home as dumbbells. I did all the exercises I could at home and ran in the fields.”
Kamalpreet proved the performance wasn’t a flash in the pan by throwing the discus to 66.59m at the Indian Grand Prix IV in June 2021, just a little more than a month before the Tokyo 2020.
“I am aiming for a distance that will ensure me a spot on the podium,” said the 25-year-old, who doesn’t want to just make up the numbers at her maiden Olympics. “At the Olympics it doesn’t matter how far the other competitors throw, I am targeting 69m and I won’t be satisfied with anything less.”
For the record, Cuba’s Denia Caballero won a bronze in women’s discus throw at Rio 2016 at 65.34m. Kamalpreet may well be on the way to the memorable Olympic campaign if she continues to improve at the rate she has this season.
When will Kamalpreet Kaur be seen in action at Tokyo 2020?
Kamalpreet Kaur will compete in the qualification round of discus throw on Saturday, July 31.