Who was the first Indian athlete to qualify for an Olympic final in track and field events?

Introduction / Context:
India's presence in the Olympic Games has grown over time, with several athletes achieving historic firsts. In track and field, reaching an Olympic final is a major milestone because the competition is extremely strong. This question asks about the first Indian athlete to qualify for an Olympic final in athletics on the track, a landmark achievement that inspired future generations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on qualifying for an Olympic final, not just participation.
• The sport is track and field (athletics), specifically track events.
• Options include Shiny Abraham, P. T. Usha, Karnam Malleswari, Jyotirmoyee Sikdar and Anju Bobby George.
• We assume standard historical accounts of India's Olympic achievements.

Concept / Approach:
P. T. Usha, often called the Payyoli Express, was the first Indian woman to come very close to an Olympic medal in track events. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she reached the final of the women's 400 metre hurdles and finished fourth, missing the bronze by a tiny margin. This made her the first Indian athlete to qualify for an Olympic track final in athletics, a widely celebrated achievement in Indian sports history.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify that the question is about an Olympic final in athletics, specifically track events. 2. Recall that P. T. Usha reached the final of the 400 metre hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. 3. Remember that she finished fourth, just outside the medals, and became a national icon for this performance. 4. Consider the other names: Shiny Abraham was also a middle distance runner, but did not reach an Olympic final before Usha; Karnam Malleswari is a weightlifter, not a track athlete; Jyotirmoyee Sikdar and Anju Bobby George achieved later successes. 5. Conclude that P. T. Usha is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by consulting Olympic records and biographies of P. T. Usha. They clearly describe her reaching the women's 400 metre hurdles final in 1984 and finishing fourth, a moment often highlighted as one of India's closest attempts at an individual athletics medal in earlier decades. No other athlete among the options achieved this landmark before her in track events, confirming her status as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Shiny Abraham: A talented middle distance runner who represented India, but she did not qualify for an Olympic final before Usha's 1984 achievement.
• Karnam Malleswari: A weightlifter who won an Olympic bronze medal later, but her sport is not track and field.
• Jyotirmoyee Sikdar: A successful middle distance runner, but her achievements came later and do not include being the first to reach an Olympic final.
• Anju Bobby George: A long jump champion who reached world level finals but is not the first Indian athlete to qualify for an Olympic track final.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse the phrase “qualify for Olympics” with “win an Olympic medal” or “participate in the Games.” Others mix up names because several athletes became famous around similar periods. Another pitfall is to pick Karnam Malleswari due to her Olympic medal, forgetting that the question is about track and field finals. Remembering the specific 400 metre hurdles final in 1984 and P. T. Usha's fourth place finish helps prevent these errors.

Final Answer:
The first Indian athlete to qualify for an Olympic final in track and field events was P. T. Usha.