India’s Praveen Kumar clinched the gold medal in the men’s high jump T64 event at the Paralympics 2024 on September 6.
Praveen’s best attempt of 2.08 m saw the 21-year-old finish in first place in his event, adding another medal to India’s tally. He not only improved his lifetime best but also broke the Asian record in the process.
Praveen won India’s 26th medal at the Paris Paralympics, in what is turning out to be a phenomenal campaign for the country. He now has back-to-back medals in the Paralympics, having won the silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, and has bettered it in this quadrennial event.
The silver medal was taken by USA’s Derek Loccident while the bronze medal was shared between Uzbekistan’s Giyazov Temurbek and Poland’s Maciej Lepiato.
This was India’s sixth gold medal in Paris and will keep them in contention for the top 10 spots in the Paralympics this year.
Why was Praveen Kumar in the T64 category?
T64 is designated for athletes with moderate movement impairment in one lower leg or those missing one or both legs below the knee. In contrast, T44, the category under which Praveen competes, is for athletes with mild to moderate movement impairment in one lower leg.
Praveen’s other achievements
Hailing from a small town called Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, Praveen started his athletics journey despite the challenges he faced due to his congenital impairment, which affected the bones connecting his hip to his left leg.
His dedication and perseverance kept him on track, and he gained attention in 2019 at the World Para Athletics Junior Championship, despite not winning a medal.
However, he rose to fame when he clinched silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and set a new Asian record of 2.07 m in his category.
First Published: Sep 06 2024 | 4:41 PM IS