Jhajharia, Gurjar win silver and bronze in javelin throw F46
Two-time gold-winning javelin throw veteran Devendra Jhajharia clinched a stupendous third Paralympic medal, a silver this time, while discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya also finished second as India surpassed its best-ever medal tally at the Games on Monday. Sundar Singh Gurjar also chipped in with a bronze, finishing behind Jhajharia in the men's javelin throw F46 final.
Jhajharia pulled off a new personal best throw for silver
The F46 classification is for athletes with arm deficiency, impaired muscle power, or impaired passive range of movement in arms, with athletes competing in a standing position. The 40-year-old Jhajharia, already India's greatest Paralympian after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2016 Games, pulled off a new personal best throw of 64.35m for the silver.
Jhajharia lost his left hand at the age of eight
Jhajharia, who lost his left hand after accidentally touching an electric wire while climbing a tree at the age of eight, bettered his own earlier world record (63.97m), However, gold winner Sri Lankan Dinesh Priyan Herath Mudiyanselage (67.79m), who set a new world record, was too good for the entire field.
Gurjar won gold in 2017, 2019 World Para Athletics Championships
25-year-old Gurjar, who lost his left hand in 2015 after a metal sheet fell on him at his friend's house, was third with a best effort of 64.01m. The Jaipur-based Gurjar had won gold in the 2017 and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. He had also won a silver in the 2018 Jakarta Para Asian Games.
Medal count stands at seven in the ongoing event
Earlier, discus thrower Kathuniya clinched a silver medal in the men's F56 event. The 24-year-old, a B.Com graduate from New Delhi's Kirorimal College, sent the disc to the best distance of 44.38m in his sixth and last attempt to clinch the silver. India had won four medals in the 2016 editions while the medal count stands at seven in the ongoing event.
