Vikas Gowda

Vikas Gowda (born 5 July 1983) is a former Indian discus thrower and a four-time Olympian. Born in Mysore and raised in Frederick, he is the son of Shive Gowda, who coached the Indian track team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He was the 2006 US NCAA National Champion in discus throw. Gowda won the discus throw event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, becoming the second Indian man to win a Commonwealth gold in athletics—56 years after Milkha Singh.

He is a two-time Asian champion, having won gold medals at the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Asian Championships. Gowda also made history as the first Indian to finish on the podium at a Diamond League meet, a feat matched by only two other Indian athletes as of 2025. In recognition of his achievements, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2014 and the Padma Shri in 2017. Gowda announced his retirement from competitive athletics in 2018 to focus on his corporate career.