Indian athletes put in a spirited performance on the international stage in 2004 which saw K M Binu joining Anju Bobby George as the country's future hope.
While world number six Anju had to be content with a dream first jump that measured 6.83m — a new national record erasing her own of 6.74m set in 2001 and equalled in 2002 — to finish sixth in a top class field at the Athens Olympics, Binu took hold of the men's 400m national record as he reached the semis.
In the process, he also bettered 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh's time set in the 1960 Rome Olympics which was till then the best set by an Indian on foreign soil.
Also impressing were heptathlete J J Sobha with her never-say-die spirit and the women's 4x400m relay quartet which reached the final bettering it's own national record.
The impressive performance blunted the skeptics after the athletes were accused of taking performance enhancing drugs when they went to Russian republics and sought the help of trainers in East European countries.