Indian Athletes Excel at Paris 2024 Paralympics with Silver and Bronze Medals

In a remarkable display of athleticism, India’s Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s high jump T63 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Tuesday.

Sharad Kumar, aged 32, achieved a clearance height of 1.88 meters, earning the silver medal, while the gold was claimed by the USA‘s Ezra Frech, who set a new Paralympic record at 1.94 meters. This accomplishment marks Sharad Kumar’s second Paralympic medal, following his bronze win at Tokyo 2020 with a jump of 1.83 meters.

Sharad expressed his gratitude, stating, ‘That was an amazing competition. All the athletes pushed each other to perform to the best, especially Ezra and myself. This was the toughest competition I have faced in my life. It was the greatest event I have ever attended.’

The high jump event included athletes from both T63 and T42 categories, all of whom face limb deficiencies, such as amputations or missing limbs. Sharad Kumar contracted polio at the age of two, while Mariyappan Thangavelu suffered a life-changing accident at the age of five when a bus ran over him, resulting in a permanent disability in his right leg.

Winning the bronze medal, Mariyappan Thangavelu cleared a height of 1.85 meters, making history as the first Indian para-athlete to attain medals in three consecutive Paralympic Games. Mariyappan previously won a gold medal at Rio 2016 with a jump of 1.89 meters and a silver medal at Tokyo 2020 with a 1.86 meter attempt.

These achievements have significantly contributed to India’s overall medal count at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, now totaling 20 medals, surpassing their previous best of 19 medals at Tokyo 2020. This development also marked the first time India crossed the milestone of 50 medals in the history of the Paralympics, with the current count standing at 51.

Furthermore, India celebrated its fourth double podium at the Paris 2024 Games. Earlier on the same day, the men’s javelin throw F46 final saw Ajeet Singh winning a silver medal, while Sundar Singh Gurjar secured a bronze.

In addition, Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal won gold and bronze medals, respectively, in SH1 shooting, while Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass claimed silver and bronze medals, respectively, in badminton SU5 class.