Dhanalakshmi Sekar is an Indian athlete who competes in the 100m, 200m and 4 X 100m relay. She has won multiple medals in various national and international competitions. In 2022, she failed a doping test and was banned for 3 years.
Wiki/Biography
Dhanalakshmi Sekar was born on Friday, June 5, 1998 in Gundur, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu (24 years; until 2022). Her zodiac sign is Gemini. She attended Abbot Marcel RC High School in Sembattu, Tiruchirappalli. She later studied at Alva College, Mudbidri, Karnataka, and pursued a Diploma in Art. After completing her diploma, she continued her studies at Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. During college, she played sports to find a government job under sports quotas and help her family out of poverty.
Childhood photos of Dhanalakshmi Sekar
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′2″
Weight (approximately): 50 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
family
She is from a Tamil family.
parents and siblings
Her father’s name was Seka and her mother’s name was Usha. Her father died when she was a child, and her mother supported the family by farming and doing housework. She has 2 sisters; however, one of her sisters passed away in 2021 due to health issues.
Usha, mother of Dhanalakshmi Sekar
husband and children
She is unmarried.
Relationships/Affairs
She is single.
Profession
Impressed by her natural speed, Tamil Nadu sprinter Manikandan Arun Mugam convinced her she could find a government job after winning a medal in the sport, after which she began training in track and field during college. She competes in the 100m, 200m and relay events. She started competing in the Athletics Championships in 2017 and in 2018 she finished third in the 100m and 200m at the 2018 Tamil Nadu Championships. In 2019, she represented India at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy. She won multiple medals in track and field championships and qualified for the mixed 4×400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan; however, she was not selected for the team. She participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a reserve team member. She shot to fame after defeating India’s top athletes Hima Das and Dutee Chand at the 2021 Federation Cup in Patiala. In June 2022, she won the gold medal in the 200 meters at the Kusanov Memorial Track and Field Meet with a personal best time of 22.89 seconds.
Dhanalakshmi Sekar with her coach Manikandan Arunmugam (right)
the medal
the gold
- 2018: Moodbidri Intercollegiate Championships, Moodbidri 200m
- 2019: Tiruchirappalli 100m Regional Championships
- 2019: Pézenas d’Athlétisme de Pézenas 200m race, France
- 2019: Tiruchirappalli 200m Regional Championships
- 2019: State Championships, Lucknow 4 X 100m Relay
- 2021: Tamil Nadu State Race, Sivakasi 100m Race
- 2021: Confederations Cup, Patiala 100m
- 2021: National Senior Interstate Athletics Championships, Patiala 100m
- 2021: Tamil Nadu State Race, Sivakasi 200m Race
- 2021: 4th Indian Grand Prix, Patiala 4 X 100m Relay
- 2021: National Senior Inter-State Athletics Championships, Patiala 4 X 100m Relay
- 2022: Trivandrum 200m Grand Prix, India
silver
- 2018: Moodbidri Intercollegiate Championships, Moodbidri 100m
- 2019: Indian Grand Prix 1, Patiala 100m
- 2019: 100m race in Pézenas d’Athlétisme de Pézenas, France
- 2020: Indian University Championships, Moodbidri 100m
- 2021: Federation Cup, Patiala 200m
- 2021: Fourth Indian Grand Prix, Patiala 200m
bronze
- 2018: Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu Championships, Tirunelveli 100m
- 2018: Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu Championships, Tirunelveli 200m
- 2019: Federation Cup, Patiala 200m
Dhanalakshmi Sekar after winning bronze in 200m at Fed Cup Patiala 2019
- 2019: Inter-State Championships, Lucknow 200m
dispute
Banned for three years after testing positive for steroids
On July 11, 2022, she was banned from participating in any events for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing an out-of-competition doping test. The sample was collected on May 1, 2022, in Antalya, Turkey, where she was training. She tested positive for metandrosterone, a banned substance under the category of “anabolic androgenic steroids.” Initially, she was banned for four years; however, she admitted doping and the penalty was subsequently reduced by one year. She was subsequently excluded from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. As a result of this ban, her wins, medals, awards and cash prizes from May 1, 2022 have also been cancelled.
Facts / Trivia
- In her early college years, she played Kho Kho; however, when she couldn’t see any good opportunities in the sport, she gave up the sport and took up athletics.
- Her best time in the 100 meters is 11.38 seconds and in the 200 meters is 23.14 seconds.
- In the 200-meter race of the 24th Confederations Cup in Patiala in 2021, she broke the record held by Indian athlete PT Usha for 23 years with a time of 23.26 seconds.
- She is also known as Gundur Express.
- While she was representing India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, her older sister passed away due to illness; however, her family kept the news from her so as not to affect her performance. She didn’t know this until she got home.
- She is supported by the JSW Sports Organization and has trained with French coach Antony Yaich at the Inspire Sports Academy.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education