Hima Das

Hima Das (born 9 January 2000), nicknamed the Dhing Express, is an Indian sprinter from the state of Assam. She holds the current Indian national record in 400 metres with a timing of 50.79 s that she clocked at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. She is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships.

Hima Das was born at Kandhulimari village, near the town of Dhing in the state of Assam to Ronjit and Jonali Das. Her parents are farmers by profession. She is the youngest of five children. She attended the Dhing Public high School and was initially interested in playing football. She played football with the boys at her school and had always wanted to pursue a career in football. However, she did not see any prospects for herself in women's football in India. Later, upon advice from a school physical education teacher, she changed to sprint running.

Das is a high school graduate from a school of Assam as of May 2019.

In April 2018, Das competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia, in the 400 metres and the 4×400 metres relay..

On 12 July 2018, Das won the 400 m final at the World U-20 Championships 2018 held at Tampere, Finland, clocking 51.46 seconds and becoming the first Indian sprinter to win a gold medal at an international track event. .

At the 2018 Asian Games, Das qualified for the 400 m final, after clocking 51.00 in heat 1 and setting a new Indian national record. On 26 August 2018 she improved the national record to 50.79 s in the 400 m final however she could win only the silver medal. Later on 30 August 2018,she,along with M. R. Poovamma, Sarita Gayakwad and V. K. Vismaya won the women's 4 × 400 metres relay clocking 3:28.72. Hima also won a silver medal in the 4 × 400 m mixed relay, which was held for the first time at Asian Games.The medal was later upgraded to gold after Kenyan team was suspended due to doping violations.

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Das continued her success in 2019 winning the 200m Gold in Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland, on July 2, 2019, with a time of 23.65 seconds. .

A week, on July 13, she won 200m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet in the Czech Republic with a time of 23.43 seconds.

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On 20 July 2019, she achieved her fifth gold of the month in her 400-meter race in Nové Město, Czech Republic completing the race in 52.09 seconds.

She was named for the World athletics championships to be held at Doha in October 2019. However a month before, she was ruled out of participation due to back problem that started after she competed at the Asian games last year.

• Conferred with Arjuna Award by the President of Indiaon 25 September 2018.

• Das appeared in India's one of the famous TV reality-show conducted by actor Amitabh Bachchan called Kaun Banega Crorepati on 1st Nov 2019.

• Das is the second athlete from Assam after Bhogeswar Baruah to win a gold medal at an international event.