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At 23, Harita Bhadra wins Asian Games 200m bronze by 0.01 sec

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Harita Bhadra secured the bronze medal with a 23.20-second finish at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She narrowly edged out host nation competitor Abigeirufuka Ido by a hundredth of a second in a race won by Singapore's Shanti Pereira. Bhadra was only cleared to compete in early September alongside five other athletes following an Indian Olympic Association intervention. The contest was so razor-thin that she only learned of her medal win after teammate Unnathi Bolland confirmed the official announcement.

Key points

  • A late administrative clearance allowed the 23-year-old sprinter to compete and capture a…: A late administrative clearance allowed the 23-year-old sprinter to compete and capture a historic continental medal.
  • Teammate Unnathi Bolland had to confirm the razor-thin third-place result to Bhadra after…: Teammate Unnathi Bolland had to confirm the razor-thin third-place result to Bhadra after the official announcement.
  • The Loughborough University sports science graduate plans to craft a commemorative jewell…: The Loughborough University sports science graduate plans to craft a commemorative jewellery piece to celebrate her podium achievement.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Harita Bhadra has two very different ways of working with her hands. On the athletics track, she uses them to drive herself towards the finish line. Away from training, she uses them to design handmade jewellery for her own label, Dagina. In September, the Mumbai athlete added another achievement to her journey: an Asian Games bronze medal in the women's 200m, decided by a difference of just 0.01 seconds. She was just 23 at the time.

Bhadra clocked 23.20 seconds in the final at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, finishing just ahead of Japanese sprinter Abigeirufuka Ido, who recorded 23.21 seconds. Singapore's Shanti Pereira won gold in 22.78 seconds, while China's Chen Yujie took silver in 22.93 seconds.

The result was particularly significant because Bhadra had not initially been included in India's athletics contingent. She was added to the team at the last minute following a request from the Indian Olympic Association to the local organisers. The Sports Ministry cleared her and five other athletes to compete on September 2.

She did not know she had won a…

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