SUMIT Antil won the gold medal in the javelin throw F64 category at the Paris Paralympics on Monday, becoming the first Indian man to defend a Paralympic title. His throw of 70.59 metres set a new Paralympic record.
The 26-year-old athlete from Sonipat, Haryana, improved upon his previous Paralympic best of 68.55 metres from the Tokyo Games. His world record stands at 73.29 metres.
Antil is the second Indian to defend a Paralympic title, following shooter Avani Lekhara, who won gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event in Tokyo and Paris.
He also joins a select group of Indians with two Paralympic gold medals, alongside Avani Lekhara and Devendra Jhajharia, who won javelin throw F46 gold in 2004 and 2016.
Antil has previously secured gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2023 and 2024 and won gold at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in 2023.
His second-round throw of 70.59 metres was the highest, with two other notable throws of 69.11 metres and 69.04 metres. However, he did not achieve his target of surpassing 75 metres.
Antil mentioned, "My back pain is not yet completely healed, I was feeling it in the last two training sessions. Today also, I did my throws after having painkillers. I have been competing by managing it (my injury)." He added, "I suffered this injury in 2023 and I played Asian Para Games in China (where I had won gold) last year carrying this injury. I did not have enough time to recover from the injury. I need rest. We will sort this injury after returning to India."
Sri Lanka's Dulan Kodithuwakku took the silver with a throw of 67.03 metres, and Michal Burian of Australia won bronze with 64.89 metres.
Indian athletes Sandeep and Sandip Sanjay Sargar finished fourth and seventh with throws of 62.80 metres and 58.03 metres, respectively.
The F64 category is for athletes with lower limb impairments or prostheses. Antil lost his left leg below the knee in a motorbike accident in 2015 and took up javelin throwing in 2018.
Earlier in the day, Yogesh Kathuniya won his second consecutive Paralympic silver medal in the men's discus throw F-56 event with a season's best throw of 42.22 metres.
Kathuniya added this silver to the one he won in Tokyo. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome at age nine, which led to muscle weakness and paralysis, but overcame these challenges with his mother’s support.
On Sunday, Preethi Pal made history as the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win two Paralympic medals. She earned bronze in both the 200m T35 and 100m T35 categories. Nishad Kumar, who won silver in the men’s high jump T47 category with a season's best of 2.04 metres, also secured his second successive silver at the Paralympics.
(With inputs from PTI)
Vikram Doraiswami
Andrew Quintman
Lord Jitesh Gadhia