When P.T. Usha was at her peak in the eighties, nobody in Asia could touch her in the 200, 400m, or the 400m hurdles. But there was one girl, Lydia de Vega of the Philippines, who could trouble Asia’s golden girl frequently in the 100m.
“Those days, I did not have any competition in any event except the 100m. Lydia always used to give me a tough fight in the 100m. She was my greatest rival,” said Usha in a chat with The Hindu on Thursday.
Lydia, the sprinter with movie star looks who gave Asian athletics some of its greatest moments with her sparkling rivalry with Usha, passed away in Manila on Wednesday at age 57 after a four-year battle with breast cancer.
