BARMAN Swapna

Date of Birth: 29 Oct 1996

Age: 26

Gender: Female

Height (m/ft): 1.56/5'1''

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
Additional Information
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Athletics	Women's Heptathlon	4

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles - Heat 2	Finished
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon High Jump	Finished
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon Shot Put	Finished
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon 200m - Heat 1	Finished
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon Long Jump	Finished
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon Javelin Throw	Finished
	Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium	Women's Heptathlon 800m	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
Asian Games
1	Women's Heptathlon	2018	Indonesia	6026
5	Women's Heptathlon	2014	Incheon, KOR	5178
World Championships
26	Women's Heptathlon	2017	London, GBR	5431
Asian Championships
1	Women's Heptathlon	2017	Bhubaneswar, IND	5942
2	Women's Heptathlon	2023	Bangkok, THA	5840
2	Women's Heptathlon	2019	Doha, QAT	5993
South Asian Games
2	Women's High Jump	2016	India	1.75

Singing. (thehindu, 12 Oct 2018)

Occupation:

Physical Education - University of Calcutta, India

Languages spoken:

Bengali, English, Hindi

Madhya Pradesh [India]

Subhas Sarkar [personal], IND, from 2012

She entered the 2022 Federation Cup event in Kozhikode, India, while still suffering from the effects of food poisoning. (espn, 06 Apr 2022)

Her 2019 season was affected by back pain and a meniscus tear. (sportstar, 13 Sep 2019)

She had to apply heavy taping to her jaw and chin due to severe toothache while competing at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. She had also suffered a grade three tear to the meniscus in her knee ahead of the Games. (telegraphindia, 21 Jun 2023; thehindu, 12 Oct 2018; bbc, 01 Sep 2018)

She struggled with back pain following the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The injury continued to affect her into 2018, and she required a month-long break from training following the 2017 World Championships. (thehindu, 12 Oct 2018; mykhel, 07 Oct 2017; firstpost, 08 Aug 2017)

She took up heptathlon in 2014. (sportskeeda, 11 Jul 2017)

Her coach recognised her potential to succeed in multiple track and field events and encouraged her to take up heptathlon. "My body was not suitable for high jump. I knew how to long jump before. My coach thought that if I could learn how to do javelin and shot put, I could do better in heptathlon than in any one particular event. Everyone told me that I have a strong body and I could sustain the physical demands. So my coach changed my event." (hindustantimes, 14 Sep 2019; sportskeeda, 11 Jul 2017)

To win gold at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (telegraphindia, 26 Apr 2022)

She trains at the Sports Authority of India [SAI] in Kolkata. (telegraphindia, 26 Apr 2022)

British heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill. (sportstar, 13 Sep 2019)

Coach Subhas Sarkar. (thehindu, 12 Oct 2018)

Philosophy:

"If you are certain of your goal and what you want to achieve, then you should let no one get in the way of your decision." (thenewsminute, 04 Aug 2016)

In 2023 she received the She Award in Leadership in the sports category from Indian newspaper The Telegraph. (Instagram profile, 22 Mar 2023; t2online, 22 Mar 2023)

In 2019 she was presented with the Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games in India. (ANI News YouTube channel, 28 Aug 2019)

Additional Information

General
EXTRA TOES
She was born with six toes on each foot and has to use customised shoes to reduce her level of discomfort while she is training and competing. "I have been competing with a lot of pain physically. The width of the shoes has an impact on how my foot lands and the lack of expansion around the edges results in discomfort. The spikes I wear are customised. But some pain is there. After all, my feet are quite broad." (telegraphindia, 26 Apr 2022; sportstar, 13 Sep 2019; channelnewsasia, 30 Aug 2018; thenewsminute男子棍术, 04 Aug 2016)

RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
She considered retiring from competitive sport in 2021 after experiencing multiple injuries, as well as disruption in her personal life following a legal issue arising from the renovation of her house. "I wanted to quit last year [speaking in 2022]. But I felt I wanted to prove a point. A lot of people have been saying that I was finished as an athlete after the Asian Games [in 2018]. I know that I have to quit eventually. But rather than quit on a negative feeling, I felt like I should quit on a high note. It will be good if I can finish over there [at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China]." (telegraphindia, 26 Apr 2022; espn, 06 Apr 2022; iwmbuzz, 30 Sep 2021; sportstar.thehindu男子棍术, 14 Jul 2020)

MULTIPLE INJURIES
Since winning gold in heptathlon at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, she has sustained injuries to her back and her meniscus. She declined to undergo spinal surgery as it would have affected her preparation for the 19th asian games. "Every time I arch my back when I do the high jump, the pain is terrible. Because of my back injury, I have to take an injection for my spine every few months. And because of the pain, I have to take painkillers every time I compete. I can't do two practice sessions a day now. I can't climb stairs. I'm not able to jump hurdles or do a squat. And yet I managed." (telegraphindia, 17 Jul 2023, 21 Jun 2023; espn, 06 Apr 2022)

Milestones

She became the first athlete representing India to win a gold medal in heptathlon at the Asian Games by claiming victory in the event at the 2018 Games in Indonesia. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Mar 2020; scroll, 13 Sep 2019)

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event