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Shriram’s 800m national record of 1:45.77 seconds, set at those Games, still stands. His coaching career spanned over two decades. He joined the SAI in 1988 as a senior coach, but mostly he will be remembered as a great athlete.
Post retirement Shriram intends to remain associated with athletics. After a short break visiting family and friends in Rajasthan, he will be spending much of his time with youngsters in the Capital. It will be his own programme for the kids.
A fortnight before his retirement, he had disclosed his plans to remain a Delhi resident. “I will be here in the Capital where I had spend almost all my running days,” he had said.
Before joining the SAI, the athletics great had to go thorough a good deal of struggle in life. But, quite like he did on the track, he braved it all. As former Services athletics coach ML Dogra puts it: “Besides being talented, Shriram had a strong heart too.”
Four years after the Montreal Games feat, the great middle distance runner took part in the Moscow Games too. However, he was no more than a shadow of himself there.
Shriram had joined the Army in late 1960s. His first national title in 800m came in 1968. He was a very versatile runner. Apart from two-lap race, he competed over various distances ranging from the 100m dash to 1500m. And he emerged winner in almost all. His first continental medal, an 800m silver, came at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games.
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