India's Fastest Woman Praises The Next Fastest: Dutee Chand Backs Harita Bhadra

Harita Bhadra is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in Indian women's sprinting. The 23-year-old from Maharashtra produced another stunning performance at the Indian Athletics Series Final in New Delhi, where she clocked 11.22 seconds to become the second-fastest Indian woman ever in the 100m.

Running in Lane 6 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Harita not only won the 100m final but also set another personal best. She came within just 0.05 seconds of Dutee Chand's national record of 11.17 seconds, set in 2021.

What makes Harita's rise even more impressive is the way she has improved throughout the season. Almost every time she has stepped onto the track for the 100m this year, she has lowered her personal best.

She first clocked 11.55 seconds at the Indian Athletics Series-6 in Chennai. She then improved that mark to 11.46 seconds at the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar in August.

But Harita was not done yet. At the Indian Athletics Series Final in New Delhi, she took a huge step forward by running 11.22 seconds. The performance moved her to second on India's all-time women's 100m list, behind only Dutee Chand.

Harita's progress in the 100m this season tells its own story. In just a few races, she has taken more than three-tenths of a second off her personal best. Her latest performance has now put her within touching distance of the national record.

Her improvement has not been limited to the 100m either. Harita has also made a strong mark in the 200m.

She clocked a personal best of 23.14 seconds at the Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. She also went under the Asian Games qualification mark in the heats, running 23.55 seconds.

Harita has enjoyed a breakthrough year across both sprint events.

Earlier this year, she won gold in the women's 60m at the National Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar, clocking a lifetime best of 7.32 seconds.

That time placed her second on India's all-time list, just 0.04 seconds behind Dutee Chand's national record of 7.28 seconds.

Remarkably, it came in her first senior competition in India. Harita marked the occasion with a gold medal and a personal best.

Her performances have now earned her a place in India's squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she is set to compete in the 200m.

There could be no better person to judge Harita's progress than Dutee Chand, India's fastest woman and the national record holder in the 100m.

Dutee has been impressed by Harita's current form and believes the young sprinter has the ability to go even faster.

"Harita has the potential to run 11.09s or even break the 11-second barrier. With the kind of form she is in, I believe she can definitely win a medal at the Asian Games," Dutee Chand told myKhel.

Dutee's words carry extra weight because she knows exactly what it takes to reach the top of Indian sprinting. Her 11.17-second national record has stood since 2021, and Harita is now just 0.05 seconds away from matching it.

Harita's rise has also created a special moment in Indian athletics. The woman who holds the national record is now backing the sprinter who is closest to breaking it.

India's current top five women's 100m timings are:

1. Dutee Chand - 11.17s (National Record)
2. Harita Bhadra - 11.22s
3. Rachita Mistry - 11.26s
4. Abinaya Rajarajan - 11.31s
5. Merlin Joseph - 11.35s

Harita has already gone from being a promising young sprinter to becoming India's second-fastest woman over 100m.

Now, with the Asian Games ahead, the target is bigger.

A medal in Japan would be another major step in her young career. And if her rapid progress continues, the national record may not remain out of reach for long.

The fastest has praised the next fastest. Now Harita Bhadra has the chance to show just how fast she can go.