Bhubaneswar: Odisha cycling stalwart Swasti Singh reaffirmed her status as India’s premier endurance rider by clinching the gold medal in the senior elite women 4 km individual pursuit at the 77th Senior National Track Cycling Championship held at the Shivalik Velodrome in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand.
This victory marks her second gold of the current championship, following her success in the team pursuit event, and underscores a season of absolute dominance for the Rourkela-born cyclist.
The individual pursuit final was a masterclass in tactical pacing and physical resilience. Swasti, representing Odisha, faced a formidable challenge from Rajasthan’s Harshita Jakhar and Maharashtra’s Pooja Danole.
Despite qualifying for the final in the second position, the 24-year-old unleashed a blistering performance in the gold medal round. She crossed the finish line with a timing of 5:29.333, maintaining an average speed of 43.72 km per hour to secure the top spot on the podium. Harshita Jakhar took the silver with a time of 5:28.938—a faster raw time than the final duel but settled for second based on the head-to-head format—while Pooja Danole claimed the bronze in 5:30.320.
This win is particularly significant as it sees Swasti reclaiming her pet event after settling for a silver medal in the previous edition of the national championships. Her performance in Rudrapur follows a record-breaking year where she set a new national mark of 5:01.475 during the selection trials in New Delhi, a time that even surpassed the bronze-medal standard of the Asian Cycling Championships.
Swasti’s individual gold has propelled the Odisha women’s contingent to a total of five medals at the 77th edition, comprising two gold, two silver, and one bronze. Her earlier gold came in the 4 km team pursuit alongside teammates Rejiya Devi, Barsarani Barik, Madhusmita Badek, and Manisha Sahoo. Additionally, she contributed to a silver medal in the team sprint event.
The Odisha Cycling Association, led by President Minati Mohapatra and Secretary Prasanna Kumar Rout, credited the state’s consistent performance to the sustained support from the state government and the high-performance training environment provided to the athletes.
As the championship concludes, Swasti Singh remains the focal point of India’s endurance cycling aspirations, with her sights now set on upcoming international fixtures through 2026.