Praveen Kumar clinches gold in T64 high jump at Paralympics
Praveen Kumar, a 21-year-old para-athlete from Noida, has secured a gold medal in the men's high jump T64 event at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. This victory follows his silver medal win at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Kumar set a new Asian record with his winning leap of 2.08m, surpassing his previous personal best of 2.07m from the Tokyo Paralympics.
Kumar's journey to gold: A series of successful jumps
Kumar began his winning streak with a jump of 1.89m and successfully cleared seven heights on his first attempt. Despite the bar being raised to 2.10m in a head-to-head competition with USA's Derek Loccident, neither athlete managed to clear this height. Loccident secured the silver medal with a leap of 2.06m, while Uzbekistan's Temurbek Giyazov earned bronze with a personal best jump of 2.03m.
Kumar's triumph boosts India's standing in Paralympics
Kumar's gold medal has propelled India to the 14th position in the overall standings at the Paralympic Games. The country has now secured six gold, nine silver, and 11 bronze medals, surpassing its previous best single-edition haul. This victory also marks a significant milestone as it exceeds India's gold medal tally from the Tokyo Paralympics where they won five gold, six silver, and eight bronze medals.
Kumar's journey to Paralympic success
Kumar, who was born with a short leg due to a congenital condition affecting the bones connecting his hip to his left leg, initially struggled with feelings of inadequacy. He found solace in sports and developed a passion for volleyball before discovering high jump at an able-bodied athletics competition. Under the guidance of para-athletics coach Dr. Satyapal Singh, Kumar shifted his focus to high jump and went on to win gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games.
