After spearheading Odisha to one gold and one silver medal in team events, star cyclist Swasti Singh started her individual campaign on a dazzling note, winning the gold medal in the women elite 4 km individual pursuit on the third day of the National Track Cycling Championship at Shivalik Velodrome in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand today.

Combining explosive power and well planned strategy, 24-year-old Swasti came back from second place in the qualifying race to win the thrilling final with a time of five minutes and 29.333 seconds. Harshita Jakhar (Rajasthan) and Pooja Danole (Maharashtra) secured the silver and bronze medals, clocking 5:28.938 and 5:30.320 respectively.

Swasti won the final with a speed of 43.72 km per hour. This was the pet event for Rourkela cyclist Swasti and she recaptured the gold after settling for silver in the previous edition of the National Track Championship. With the addition of the individual gold by Swasti, the medal count for Odisha increased to five, which features two gold, two silver and one bronze. It may be noted that all five medals for Odisha have been bagged by women.

Earlier, Odisha won one gold in women elite 4 km team pursuit (Swasti Singh, Rejiya Devi, Barsarani Barik, Madhusmita Badek and Manisha Sahoo) and one silver in team sprint (Swasti Singh, Barsarani Barik and Khoirom Rejiya Devi). Sasmita Panda claimed one silver in youth girls 2 km individual pursuit, while 

Sasmita Panda claimed the other silver for Odisha in the youth girls 2 km individual pursuit event, while Barsarani Barik grabbed one bronze in women elite 1 km individual time trial. Odisha Cycling Association president Minati Mohapatra and secretary Prasanna Kumar Rout congratulated the medal winners and thanked the State government for providing support.
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PHOTO: Odisha ace Swasti Singh poses with her women elite individual pursuit gold medal at the National Track Cycling Championship in Rudrapur on 21 December 2025.