Tintu Luka (born 26 April 1989) is an Indian track and field athlete, who predominantly competes in the middle-distance running events. Born in Valathode, Kerala, she is the national record holder in the women's 800 metres. Tintu represented India at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In addition to being the 2015 Asian Champion in the 800 meters, she has won a total of six medals at the Asian Athletics Championships.
Tintu also competes in sprinting events including 400 metres and the 4 × 400 metres relay, and was a part of the gold medal-winning relay team at the 2013 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2014 Asian Games. She is mentored by Indian Olympian P. T. Usha, and trains at the Usha School of Athletics, Koyilandy, Kerala. She was awarded Arjuna award, the country's second-highest sporting honour by Government of India in 2014.
Early life and junior career
Tintu Luka was born in the small village of Valathode near Karikkottakary in Kannur district, Kerala, India. Her parents are Lukka and Lissy, a state-level long jumper. She has a sister named Angel Lukka. Tintu did her schooling from St. Thomas High School, Karikkottakary.
In 2001, Tintu joined the PT Usha School of Athletics at Koyilandy, and started training under the guidance of her coach P T Usha. In 2008, she bagged her first international medal in form of a silver at the Junior Asian Athletics Championships.
Performance at international level
In 2008, Tintu won a silver medal in the 800-metre race at the Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Jakarta.
At 2010 Commonwealth Games, Tintu finished in sixth place in the women's 800m with a timing of 2:01.25s.performance in CWG 2010 PT Usha responded to this performance, saying that Tintu Luka had not been exposed to such a large crowd before and that the crowd's applause and cheering could have made her lose concentration and run faster without prior planning.
Tintu won the bronze medal in the women's 800 metres event of the track and field competitions at the Asian Games 2010. Tintu, who had a disappointing finish in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, led the pack right from the start, but couldn't keep pace in the last 50 metres and finished third with a timing of 2:01.36 seconds.Performance in Asian games,
In the Continental Cup, Croatia, 2010, Tintu timed 1:59.17, to break Shiny Wilson's 15-year-old national record of 1:59.85 in the 800m event.National record in 800m,
In the second of the three semi-finals for 800 metres event at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Tintu finished sixth in her heat clocking an 1:59.69 seconds her seasons best, but could not qualify for the finals. For her performance at the Summer Olympics, the Government of Kerala awarded her and will provide her with a job in a gazetted rank.
On 1 October 2014, Tintu won the silver medal in the 800m at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea. She was also the part of the team that won the gold medal in the 4 X 400 m relay at the 2014 Asian Games. The team clocked 3:28:68 to break the Games Record. This is India's 4th consecutive gold in the event since 2002.
Awards and recognition Arjuna Award – 2014
Competition record Representing 2008Asian Junior ChampionshipsJakarta, Indonesia 2nd800 m2:08.63World Junior ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland8th (sf)800m2:06.5114th (h)4 × 400 m relay3:44.132009Asian ChampionshipsGuangzhou, China6th800 m2:07.362010Commonwealth GamesDelhi, India6th800 m2:01.25Asian GamesGuangzhou, China3rd800 m2:01.362011Asian ChampionshipsKobe, Japan3rd800 m2:02.552nd4 × 400 m relay3:44.17World ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea15th (sf)800 m2:00.952012Summer OlympicsLondon, United Kingdom10th (sf)800 m1:59.612013Asian ChampionshipsPune, India3rd800 m2:04.481st4 × 400 m relay3:32.26World ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia15th (h)4 × 400 m relay3:38.812014Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom11th (sf)800 m2:03.35Asian GamesIncheon, South Korea 2nd800 m1:59.191st4 × 400 m relay3:28.68 2015Asian ChampionshipsWuhan, China 1st800 m2:01.532nd4 × 400 m relay3:33.81World ChampionshipsBeijing, China19th (h)800 metres2:00.9514th (h)4 × 400 m relay3:29.082016Summer OlympicsRio de Janeiro, Brazil29th (h)800 m2:00.58
References
External links
Tintu – a rare gem (The Hindu) Tintu Luka (USHA) DD India report on Tintu