Key facts
- Known for: Sprinter and hurdler; sports administrator; Rajya Sabha member
- Born: 27 June 1964, Koothali, Kozhikode district, Kerala
- Age: 62 years (as of 8 November 2026)
- Spouse: V. Srinivasan (m. 1991; died 2026)
Childhood in Kerala
Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha was born on 27 June 1964 in Koothali, near Perambra in Kozhikode district, Kerala, and grew up in the coastal town of Payyoli. Her family had modest means, and her early races took place at school sports meets. She was quick enough that local teachers and officials noticed her well before she had any formal coaching.
In 1977 the Kerala government started a sports division for girls in Kannur. Usha was one of about forty girls selected, and there she began training under O. M. Nambiar, an athletics coach who had first noticed her at a school prize-giving. Nambiar later recalled being struck by her lean build and fast walking stride. Their partnership lasted most of her career and is one of the best-known athlete–coach relationships in Indian sport.
Family and education
Usha grew up in a modest family in Payyoli, on the Malabar coast. Her father was E. P. M. Paithal and her mother T. V. Lakshmi. As a girl she was frequently ill, and she has said that running and games at school helped her grow stronger.
In 1976 the Kerala government opened a sports division for women in Kannur, and Usha was among its first intake, receiving a small scholarship. In 1977 the coach O. M. Nambiar spotted her there, and he remained her coach throughout her competitive career. Kannur University later awarded her an honorary doctorate (D.Litt.) in 2000.
Career milestones
- 1977
Begins training with O. M. Nambiar
- 1980
Olympic debut in Moscow at 16
- 1984
Fourth in Olympic 400 m hurdles
- 1986
Four golds at Seoul Asian Games
- 2002
Opens the Usha School of Athletics
- 2022
Rajya Sabha; IOA president
Early national success
Usha's results came quickly. At the 1980 national inter-state meet she set several meet records, and the same year she made her first international appearance at an invitational meet in Karachi, where she won four gold medals. Later in 1980 she ran at the Moscow Olympics. At 16 she became India's youngest Olympic sprinter, a record Olympics.com says still stands, although she did not progress far in the competition.
1982 Asian Games
The 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi were the first major event broadcast in colour by India's national broadcaster Doordarshan, and they introduced Usha to millions of viewers. At 18 she won silver medals in both the 100 m and the 200 m. In the 100 m she finished behind the Philippines' Lydia de Vega, the start of a rivalry that would shape Asian sprinting through the decade.
Los Angeles 1984: one hundredth of a second
Ahead of the 1984 Olympics, Usha switched her focus to the 400 m hurdles, an event she had taken up only recently. In Los Angeles she reached the final after setting a Commonwealth record of 55.54 seconds in the semi-final. In the final on 8 August 1984 there was a false start by another runner, and Usha, who had got away superbly the first time, was slower from the blocks at the restart. She recovered to fight for third place with Romania's Cristieana Cojocaru, but the Romanian edged ahead in a photo finish.
Usha finished fourth in 55.42 seconds, one hundredth of a second away from bronze. She was the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic athletics final. Her time remained the Indian national record for decades; Olympics.com notes it was only equalled by Vithya Ramraj at the 2023 Asian Games. Usha later said that missing a medal by such a margin at the age of 20 was unimaginable, and that a message from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi helped lift her spirits.
Queen of Asian athletics
What followed was a period of dominance. At the 1985 Asian Athletics Championships in Jakarta she won five gold medals and a bronze within a few days, including the 400 m in an Asian record. At the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul she won four gold medals, in the 200 m, the 400 m, the 400 m hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay, as well as a silver in the 100 m behind de Vega. Over her Asian Games career she won four golds and seven silvers, and between 1983 and 1989 she collected 13 golds at Asian championship meets.
Her competitive career was unusually long for a sprinter. She continued to race for India well into the late 1990s, long after most of her contemporaries had retired. At the 1998 Asian Championships in Athletics, aged 34, she ran in India's 4 × 100 m relay team alongside Valdivel Jayalakshmi, Rachita Mistry and E. B. Shyla; the team won gold and set a national record of 44.43 seconds. She retired from competitive athletics in 2000, almost a quarter of a century after her first races.
Medals and results
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Moscow Olympics, 100 m | Heats; first Olympic appearance, aged 16 |
| 1982 | New Delhi Asian Games | Silver in 100 m and 200 m |
| 1983 | Asian Championships, Kuwait City | Gold in 400 m |
| 1984 | Los Angeles Olympics, 400 m hurdles | 4th in 55.42 s, 0.01 s from bronze |
| 1985 | Asian Championships, Jakarta | Five golds and a bronze |
| 1986 | Seoul Asian Games | Gold in 200 m, 400 m, 400 m hurdles and 4 × 400 m relay; silver in 100 m |
| 1990 | Beijing Asian Games | Three silvers |
| 1998 | Asian Championships, Fukuoka | Gold in 4 × 100 m relay, silver in 4 × 400 m relay, bronze in 200 m and 400 m, aged 34 |
Her overall Asian Games record is four golds and seven silvers. Her 400 m hurdles time of 55.42 seconds from Los Angeles remained the Indian national record for decades.
| Year | Honour |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Arjuna Award |
| 1985 | Padma Shri |
| 2000 | Honorary D.Litt., Kannur University |
| 2022 | Nominated to the Rajya Sabha |
| 2022 | Elected president of the Indian Olympic Association |
Recognition
Usha received the Arjuna Award in 1984 and the Padma Shri in 1985. Universities later honoured her too: Kannur University awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2000, followed by IIT Kanpur in 2017 and the University of Calicut in 2018, and athletics' world governing body presented her with its Veteran Pin in 2019. The nickname "Payyoli Express", taken from her home town, became part of everyday Indian sporting vocabulary, and her name was for a generation shorthand for speed. Schoolchildren across India grew up hearing about the girl from Kerala who nearly won an Olympic medal.
Coach and mentor
After her retirement Usha turned to coaching. The Usha School of Athletics was formally inaugurated on 29 May 2002 in Koyilandy, near Kozhikode, starting in rented premises with twelve girls and training on a local ground and on Payyoli beach. In 2008 it moved to a 30-acre campus at Kinalur granted by the Kerala government, with a synthetic track and a residential hostel. Its best-known graduate, Tintu Luka, reached the 800 m semi-finals at the 2012 London Olympics and became Asian champion in 2015. Usha has said openly that she is still searching for the athlete who can win the Olympic medal she missed.
Parliament and the Indian Olympic Association
In July 2022 President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Usha to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament. In December 2022 she was elected unopposed as president of the Indian Olympic Association, becoming the first woman to hold the post. The same month she was named to the panel of vice-chairpersons who preside over the Rajya Sabha in the absence of its chairman and deputy chairman. She was the first nominated member to be placed on that panel, and on 8 February 2023 she presided over the house.
Personal life
Usha studied at Providence Women's College in Kozhikode. In 1991 she married V. Srinivasan, an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force. Srinivasan died on 30 January 2026, aged 67.
Husband and son
Usha married V. Srinivasan, an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force, in 1991. He supported her comeback and her academy for more than three decades. Srinivasan died on 30 January 2026, aged 67, after collapsing at their home in Kozhikode; Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to her to offer condolences. Their son, Vignesh Ujjwal, qualified as a doctor and specialises in sports medicine.
Current roles (as of November 2026)
Usha continues as president of the Indian Olympic Association, a post she won unopposed in December 2022, the first woman and first Olympian to hold it. Her term has included disputes with members of the IOA executive council over appointments and governance, which have been widely reported. She is also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and runs the Usha School of Athletics at Kinalur in Kozhikode, which has produced international athletes such as Tintu Luka.
Legacy
P. T. Usha's career did not include an Olympic medal, but few Indian athletes have had a larger influence. Her run in Los Angeles showed that an Indian woman could compete at the very highest level of track and field, and her Asian titles set the standard for the generation that followed. Through her school and her role at the Indian Olympic Association she has stayed at the centre of Indian sport for more than four decades.
Frequently asked questions
How old is P. T. Usha?
P. T. Usha was born on 27 June 1964, so she is 62 years old as of November 2026.
What is P. T. Usha's full name?
Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha.
Why is P. T. Usha called the Payyoli Express?
Because she grew up in Payyoli, a coastal town in Kozhikode district, Kerala, and was the fastest woman in Asia for much of the 1980s.
Who was P. T. Usha's husband?
V. Srinivasan, a Central Industrial Security Force inspector, whom she married in 1991. He died on 30 January 2026.
Does P. T. Usha have children?
Yes, a son, Dr. Vignesh Ujjwal, who specialises in sports medicine.
Who are P. T. Usha's parents?
E. P. M. Paithal and T. V. Lakshmi.
Where did P. T. Usha train?
At the Kerala government's sports division for girls in Kannur, where coach O. M. Nambiar spotted her in 1977.
Did P. T. Usha win an Olympic medal?
No. She finished fourth in the 400 m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, one hundredth of a second behind the bronze medallist.
How many Asian Games medals did P. T. Usha win?
Eleven: four golds and seven silvers, including four golds at Seoul in 1986.
What is P. T. Usha doing now?
As of November 2026 she is president of the Indian Olympic Association, a nominated Rajya Sabha member, and runs the Usha School of Athletics in Kozhikode.
When did P. T. Usha become IOA president?
In December 2022, elected unopposed. She is the first woman and first Olympian to lead the Indian Olympic Association.
Sources
- Olympics.com: PT Usha's best career performances
- Olympics.com: PT Usha medals and records
- Usha School of Athletics: milestones
- The Hindu: P.T. Usha's long wait for an Olympic medal
- Wikipedia: P. T. Usha (cross-checked dates and offices)
- The Indian Express: V. Srinivasan dies aged 67 (January 2026)
- Olympics.com: P. T. Usha's son becomes a sports doctor
- Usha School of Athletics: The Golden Girl
