When PT Usha turned her wedding anniversary into a tribute to husband V Sreenivasan
India’s sprint queen PT Usha is mourning the death of her husband, V Sreenivasan, who passed away on Friday, January 30 in Kozhikode, Kerala. The loss has drawn condolences from across the sporting and political spectrum, with many remembering Sreenivasan as the steadfast presence behind one of India’s greatest athletes.
As news of his passing spread, a deeply emotional post written by PT Usha in 2021, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, resurfaced on social media — now reading like a poignant farewell rather than a celebration.
In that post, Usha had turned a familiar saying on its head. “We always hear that behind every successful man there is a woman,” she wrote. “Appreciating the man behind all my success today!”
We always hear that behind every successful man there is a woman. Appreciating the man behind all my success today! Thank you for making the perfect relay team good enough not only for a sprint but for the marathon of life! Celebrating 30 years of togetherness! pic.twitter.com/5M7OXEghSC
— P.T. USHA (@PTUshaOfficial) April 25, 2021
Calling Sreenivasan her part of the “perfect relay team,” she had thanked him for standing beside her not just in moments of speed and glory, but through the long haul of life itself.
“Thank you for making the perfect relay team good enough not only for a sprint but for the marathon of life! Celebrating 30 years of togetherness!”
Those words now carry a heavier weight. PT Usha, who inspired generations with her dominance on the track, often credited her family for being her emotional anchor beyond medals and milestones.
Born in 1964 in Kuttali, Kozhikode, Usha became a global name with 11 Asian Games medals, 14 Asian Championships golds, and her unforgettable fourth-place finish at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she missed bronze in the 400m hurdles by just 1/100th of a second — a timing that remains a national record.
Awarded the Arjuna Award in 1983 and the Padma Shri in 1985, Usha’s legacy extends far beyond statistics. In recent years, she transitioned from athlete to mentor, administrator and role model — with Sreenivasan quietly by her side.
Today, as India remembers her husband, PT Usha’s own words stand as the most fitting tribute — a love story run not in lanes or seconds, but across a lifetime.