Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews Beenamol, popularly known as K. M. Beenamol (born 15 August 1975), from Kombidinjal, Idukki district, Kerala is an international athlete from India.
.jpg) Beenamol handing over the Queen's Baton to the Chief Minister of Kerala in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews Beenamol |
| National team | India |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Born | 15 August 1975 Kombidinjal, Idukki district, Kerala, India |
| Years active | 1990–2004 |
| Employer | Indian Railways |
| Height | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in)[1] |
| Weight | 50 kg (110 lb)[1] |
| Spouse | Dr. Vivek George |
| Sport | |
| Country | India |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | Sprint (400 m) Middle-distance (800 m) Relay (4 × 400 m) |
| Coached by | Raju Paul |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 400 m: 51.21 (Kyiv, 2000)[2] 800 m: 2:02.01 (New Delhi, 2002)[2] 4 × 400 m relay: 3:26.89 (Athens, 2004) NR |
Medal record | |
Professional athletics career
editBeenamol and her brother K. M. Binu became the first Indian siblings to win medals in a major international competition.[citation needed] Binu won a silver medal in men's 800m race.[citation needed]
Olympics
editIt was during 2000 Summer Olympics, Beenamol was largely unknown, until she became the third Indian woman to reach an Olympic semi-final since P. T. Usha and Shiny Wilson, who achieved almost the same feat in 400m Hurdles in 800m respectively in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[citation needed]
Asian games
editShe won the gold medal in women's 800m and the 4 × 400 m women's relay in the 2002 Asian Games held at Busan.[3][4][5]
Achievements
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Asian Championships | Jakarta, Indonesia |  Gold | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:31.54 |
 Silver | 400 m | 51.41 | |||
| 2002 | Asian Games | Busan, South Korea | Gold | 800 m | 2:04.17 |
| Gold | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:30.84 | |||
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 6th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:26.89 NR |
Awards
editBeenamol was conferred Arjuna Award in 2000 for her exemplary achievement in her athletic career.[6][7] She is also the joint winner of India's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 2002–2003 along with Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat.[8][9] In 2004, she was awarded the Padma Shri.[10]
Personal life
editK. M. Beenamol is married to Vivek George, a pathologist, and has 2 children, Ashwin and Haile (named after Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie).[citation needed]
