“I was about to cry at the end of the race, because I knew I was going to break the national record (U20). I expected a time of 11.40 seconds but 11.34 is crazy. I want to thank my coach, my physio and my dad, who is my hero, for supporting me when I was down,” Abinaya said.

The injury put paid to her plans of qualifying for the individual 100 metres at the Asian Games. She made it into the six-member relay squad instead, but to secure her place in the relay quartet, she needed a performance to stamp her class.

“After coming back from injury I am happy that I ran a good time. The crowd really got me going. When I was injured at the Asian Indoors, I had to be taken out on a stretcher. I got injured in the heats but I tried to get ready to run the final after taking painkillers. Till the last 10 minutes, I was telling myself not to give up, but then I realised I could not walk,” Abinaya said.

On her return, Abinaya competed in three events, and it was only in the last of them, the Indian Athletics Series 10 in Thiruvananthapuram, that she found real form, running 11.84 seconds.

“I had a crazy hunger to win here. Before the race, I was visualising how I would break the national record, how I would celebrate by doing the Ronaldo Siuuu. I decided that if I win gold I would celebrate like Ronaldo. It is a relief for me to win today. From the time I had the injury till this point it was challenging for me. There is still a bruise on my knee but now I don’t have any pain. I am feeling bad that I didn’t make it to the individual event in the Asian Games but that is how it is,” Abinaya said.

Saturday’s win has boosted her confidence. She believes it’s only a matter of time before she breaks Dutee Chand’s national record of 11.17 seconds. “I am just 19, I hope to break the national record and I will run below 11 seconds. I will make the country proud,” she said.

Watching from the stands was her father, Rajarajan, a small-time businessman who supplies drilling equipment to quarry workers. Immediately after winning, Abinaya called her father and coach Srinivasan Ramaiah over for a photograph. Her father gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I just can’t believe how fast she ran today, given that she is making a comeback from injury. When I saw 11.34 on the screen, I was shocked but of course happy. When she was injured she was very low, but she has shown the ability to bounce back,” Rajarajan said.

He first realised his daughter had a future in athletics when, as a six-year-old, she beat him in an impromptu running race. Wondering if it had been a fluke, he asked her to race again, and again. She kept winning. “That day I knew she had something special,” Rajarajan said.

With a comeback win after a knee injury, and an Under-20 national record to go with it, Abinaya is a sprinter to watch.

Rohit’s big throw

In the men’s javelin, Rohit Yadav produced a personal best of 87.68 metres to win gold, moving to fourth in the world this year by distance. His previous best, 87.05 metres, also came at the Kalinga Stadium, during the Indian Championships in June. At the Commonwealth Games, though, Rohit had finished seventh in the final with a throw of 81.56 metres, and he had hoped for a stronger showing at the Asian Games. “I wish I had produced such a throw at the Commonwealth Games. Post the CWG I was very upset. I know I have big throws in me, everything just needs to click on the big day,” Rohit said.