| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1979-12-04)4 December 1979 (age 45) Sunam, Punjab, India |
| Sport | |
| Country | India |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Regional finals |
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Sunita Rani (Hindi:सुनीता रानी; born 4 December 1979) is an Indian athlete fromPunjab who won a gold medal in the 1,500 m race and a bronze in the 5,000 m during the2002 Asian Games. Her time of 4:06.03 in the 1,500 metres is the currentIndian national record. She received theArjuna award in 1999 and thePadma Shri in 2015[1] for her achievements. She later raised controversy when she was charged with doping. Her medals were revoked but subsequently reinstated after an investigation.
Rani hails fromSunam, Punjab and is best known for her performance at the 2002 Asian Games, where she won a gold medal in the 1,500 m race and a bronze in the 5,000 m.[2]
Rani was hit with controversy about her performance at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, after she tested positive fornandrolone, a banned substance that aids recovery, strength, and endurance. Both her medals were revoked. TheIndian Olympic Association fought to prove that the doping tests had major procedural irregularities and that the results were not valid. Rani has categorically maintained that she had not taken any banned substances. She had also cleared the dope test in Delhi, on the eve of the Indian team's departure to Busan.[3]
TheOlympic Council of Asia later officially admitted that there had been discrepancies in her drug test. On 3 January 2003, theInternational Association of Athletics Federations officially cleared Rani of doping charges and reinstated her medals.[4] The Amateur Athletic Federation of India held a 'Restoration of Medals' ceremony on 4 February 2003, to officially return Rani's medals.[5][6]
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