India’s next track and field stars? Currently in class...in the USA

The American college sports system has groomed hundreds of Olympic stars. Now, 17 Indian athletes are chasing that same dream on the NCAA circuit

Growing up in Chennai, Krishna Jayasankar often faced body shaming for her heavy build. But years later, and thousands of miles away in Nevada, the discus thrower finds herself at the doorstep of stardom — she just became the first Indian female thrower to qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Outdoor Championships final.
She didn’t win a medal, but competing with some of the best talents of the US college circuit was a step towards her ambition of making the Olympics cut in three years. “Throughout my journey, I have faced constant negative comments about my size which affected me mentally. Here, people don’t judge me for my frame. This has helped me be the best that I can be,” Krishna, a student at the University of Nevada, tells TOI from the US.