Govindan Lakshmanan

In this Indian name, the name Govindan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Lakshmanan.

Govindan Lakshmanan
Personal information
NationalityIndian
Born (1990-06-05) 5 June 1990 (age 34)
Sport
CountryIndia
SportTrack and field
Event(s)5000 metres
10,000 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best13:35.69 (London 2017)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  India
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Bhubaneswar 10,000 m
Gold medal – first place 2017 Bhubaneswar 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Wuhan 10,000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Wuhan 5000 m
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
Gold medal – first place 2017 Ashgabat 3000 m
Updated on 30 December 2017

Govindan Lakshmanan (born 5 June 1990 in Sokkurani, Pudukottai district, Tamil Nadu, India[1]) is an Indian distance runner. On the track, he mostly competes over 5000 metres and 10,000 metres,[2] but has also run the half marathon competitively.[3][4]

Early life

Lakshmanan lost his father to a car accident when he was six, and was adopted by his neighbour S. Loganathan. His mother Jayalakshmi is a small farmer. Under Loganathan's tutelage, Lakshmanan began training in long-distance running when he was 16,[2] along with the former's daughter Suriya, in Youth Sports Club in the village of Kavinadu near the town of Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu.[5]

Career

He represented India at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, placing 74th overall. Competing over 5000 metres at the 2015 Wuhan Asian Championships, Lakshmanan won the bronze medal with a time of 13:36.62.[6] He won the 10,000 metres silver medal with a time of 29:42.81.[7] At the next Championships, he won the 5000 metres gold medal with a time of 14:54.48, becoming only the third Indian to win gold in the event at the Championships, and the first since 1993. The time was however the slowest in the Championships' history for a winner. The victory earned him a qualification for the London World Championships that year.[8] In London, he ran his personal best of 13:35.69.[citation needed]

At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia; he won bronze medal but was later stripped as he was disqualified for lane infringement.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Athletes - Lakshmanan Govindan". Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Asian Athletic Championships: 5,000 m gold medallist G Lakshmanan once practised barefoot". The Times of India. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  3. ^ "G Lakshmanan, Monika Athare Best Indians At Delhi Half Marathon". NDTV. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Army runners Neeraj Pal, G Lakshmanan, Kavita Raut of ONGC set new marathon course marks". Daily News and Analysis. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  5. ^ Selvaraj, Jonathan (2 June 2017). "Siblings Lakshmanan and Suriya united by love for running". ESPN. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Poovamma, Joseph win silver medals in Asian Athletics Championships". The Hindu. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Vikas Gowda, Lalita Babbar win gold at Asian Athletics Championships in China". Daily News and Analysis. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Hadadi wins fifth Asian discus title in Bhubaneswar". International Association of Athletics Federations. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Asian Games 2018: Why Govindan Lakshmanan was denied a bronze medal". 26 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.