Usha, DeVega to meet after 16 years

For Usha, the meeting will evoke bitter sweet memories of her encounter with DeVega in the 1986 Seoul Asiad.

Usha, who won four gold and seven silver medals in four Asian Games from 1982 to '94, will be in Busan with the Indian athletics team as an Amateur Athletic Federation of India observer, while the Filipino is part of a broadcasting unit.

The showdown between the two athletes occurred at the Seoul Asiad. DeVega beat Usha to win the women's 100 metres, but Usha had her measure of revenge in the 200 metres, winning the gold ahead of DeVega.

The 'Payyoli Express', as she is known now, went on the win golds in the 400 metres, 400 metres hurdles and 4 x 400 metres relay to return with a haul of four gold and one silver medal from the Games.

Usha's time of 55.42 seconds in the 400 metres hurdles, set at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, when she missed the bronze by one hundredth of a second, still stands as the national record.

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