K. M. Beenamol

Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews Beenamol, popularly known as K. M. Beenamol (born 15 August 1975), from Kombidinjal, Idukki district, Kerala is an international athlete from India.

K. M. Beenamol

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	(1975-08-15) 15 August 1975 (age 49) 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 Women's athletics Representing  India Asian Athletics Championships 2000 Jakarta 4 × 400 m relay 2000 Jakarta 400 m Asian Games 2002 Busan 800 m 2002 Busan 4 × 400 m relay 2002 Busan 400 m Asian Junior Athletics Championships 1992 New Delhi 800 m 1992 New Delhi 4 × 400 m relay 1992 New Delhi 400 m 1994 Jakarta 800 m 1994 Jakarta 400 m 1994 Jakarta 4×400 m relay

In this Indian name, the name Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Beenamol.

Professional athletics career

Beenamol 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

It 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

She 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

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

Beenamol 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

K. M. Beenamol is married to Vivek George, a pathologist, and has 2 children, Ashwin and Haile (named after Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie).^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of Kerala Olympians