OP Jaisha

Born JaishaOrchatteriPuthiyaVeetil, marathoner OP Jaisha will be participating in her first ever Olympic Games this year in Rio de Janeiro. The 33-year-old currently holds the national record, which she set at the 2015 Athletics World Championships in Beijing, China. Like a number of other Indian marathoners, Jaisha is also proficient at the 3000m steeplechase, a discipline in which the Kerala native has held the national record in the past. A proficient middle and long distance runner, Jaisha has found success at the World Championships and the Asian Games, where she has won bronze on two occasions – one most recently at the middle-distance 1500m in 2014, and in 2006 at the 5000m. Last year, Jaisha was the fastest Indian woman at the 2015 Mumbai Marathon, finishing eighth in the overall category; she also broke the national record in the process. At the 2015 Athletics World Championships, Jaisha improved on her own previous marathon record alongside compatriot and marathoner Sudha Singh. A s a result of that improved performance, Jaisha qualified for her first Olympic games.