Krishna Poonia

Krishna Poonia (born 5 May 1976) is an Indian discus thrower. She led an Indian clean sweep in the women's discus final on 11 October 2010, winning the Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medal with a throw of 61.51 metres. The Government of India awarded her the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2011.

Krishna Poonia was born on 5 May 1976 to a Jat family in Haryana's Agroha village, which lies in the Hisar district. She married Virender Singh Poonia of Gagarwas village in Churu district in Rajasthan in 2000. The couple work for Indian Railways and live in Jaipur. Virender Singh is a former athlete who coached Krishna after marriage. Krishna studied sociology in Kanodia Girls College in Jaipur.

She won bronze medal in 2006 Doha Asian Games. Krishna Poonia threw the discus to 61.53, her personal best, in the second try and finished behind Aimin Sing of China (63.52) and Ma Xuenjun, also of China (62.43). Krishna Poonia had won gold medal in the 46th Open National athletics championships to nose ahead of favourites Seema Antil and Harwant Kaur while registering a career-best 60.10 metres distance.

She contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but failed to reach the finals, after finishing 10th in the qualifiers with a throw of 58.23.

On 8 May 2012, she bettered her personal best with a throw of 64.76 meters in Hawaii, US, which is the new national record.

2010 Commonwealth games

Discus thrower Krishna Poonia is the first Indian woman athlete to win the Gold Medal in Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. Poonia led the historic clean sweep of the discus event by clearing 61.5 meters. She is the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in track and field events of Commonwealth games and the first Indian to win a gold medal in such events after Milkha Singh who had won the gold in Men's 440 yards race in the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games

2012 London Olympics

She completed a creditable six in the women's discus throw in the 2012 London Olympics. Poonia's best effort of 63.62 m came in her fifth and penultimate attempt. She had 62.42 m in the first attempt and 61.61 in the third and 61.31 in the sixth and the final throw. She had two no-throws in the second and the fourth attempt. Earlier she became only the sixth Indian to make it to the final round of track and field events in an Olympics after Milkha Singh, P T Usha, Sriram Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa and Anju Bobby George.

Joined the Congress at an election rally in Churu – her home district- in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and chief minister Ashok Gehlot. The 36-year-old officer in North Western Railway has resigned from her job. Krishna had made up her mind to quit her job and join the Congress Party in August itself after she was approached by the Congres's leadership.

“I have joined Congress, the party for which I have great faith. But I will continue to pursue my career in athletics and am training hard for next year's Commonwealth Games and also the Asian Games. I hope Sachin Tendulkar campaigns for the party. Sportspersons need to strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi," said Poonia.

She had visited several villages under Sadulpur (Rajgarh) constituency to create awareness about girl children and on the need for education. She was trying to get the pulse of people and was overwhelmed by their response. Poonia had recently kicked up a controversy when she was not selected for the Khel Ratna for which shooter Ronjon Sodhi was chosen. On 8 December 2013, she lost her seat in Sadulpur in the Rajasthan Assembly elections, where she represented Congress.