‘Golden’ Pranita pedals state to championship win

At the Oxford Club track, the Maharashtra team won the overall championship with 17 medals in three days

State rider Pranita Soman impressed with her performance by winning four gold medals for Maharashtra in the Giant Starkenn’s 14th MTB National Championship organised by the Cycling Federation of India on Sunday.

Pranita Soman won four gold medals at the 14th MTB National Championship in Pune.(HT PHOTO)

At the Oxford Club track, the Maharashtra team won the overall championship with 17 medals in three days. It included eight golds, seven silvers and two bronze medals. The Kerala team emerged as runners-up with 13 medals, including one gold, four silvers and eight bonze medals.

Pranita, who hails from Ahmednagar, won bronze in the Pune Baramati MTB race in the under-16 category and also picked up silver at the MTB Nationals last year.

She won a gold medal on the previous day in the junior girls’ segment, making it a unique golden hat-trick on Saturday. On the concluding day, she made it grand, bagging another gold medal in the women’s elite category (18km). She clocked 1 hour 26.23s to finish first, while Priyanka Karnade and Swapnali Sutar made it an all-Maharashtra podium finish.

“Last year I won silver, but this year I was aiming for gold. I am very happy with the three gold medals,” Pranita said.

Earlier in the women’s time-trial event, Pranita clocked 20.46.36s. Later, in the women’s cross-country event, Pranita grabbed her third gold of the tournament clocking 1.06.57.69s. She left behind Kerala rider Preethi BK and Athira Santhosh who took 13 and 17 minutes more to finish.