NAPOLI (Italy) -- National record holder Dutee Chand became the first Indian woman track-and-field athlete to clinch a gold at the World University Games by winning the 100m event here early on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Dutee, who clocked 11.32 seconds, led the race from start to finish.
Running in lane number 4, Dutee was the first off the starting blocks and made most of it to fend off a late challenge from Del Ponte (11.33) of Switzerland. Lisa Kwayie of Germany took the bronze in 11.39 seconds.
The Odisha runner, whose national record stands at 11.24 seconds, is the first Indian to win the 100m gold at a global event.
I've been passionately following since my childhood but it never came. Finally, for the first time, a gold for India! Congratulations @DuteeChand for winning the 100m sprint at the Universiade, the World University Games, in Naples���� pic.twitter.com/Rh4phsKCEI
- Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) 10 July 2019
She is also only the second Indian sprinter to clinch the top spot at a global event after Hima Das, who won the 400m gold at the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.
Dutee, who won a silver in both the 100m and 200m in the 2018 Asian Games, is also only the second Indian track-and-field athlete to finish first at the World University Games. Inderjeet Singh had clinched the top spot in the men's shot put event in the 2015 edition.
Dutee, who recently revealed she's in a same-sex relationship, later tweeted: "Pull me down, I will come back stronger!"