Preeti Pal creates history with second medal win at Paris 2024 Paralympics
India's second paralympic medal at the Paris Paralympics comes from Preeti's bronze in the 200m T35 competition.
Preeti Pal created history on Sunday when she won a bronze in the 200-meter T35 category at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, with personal best time of 30.01 seconds, making her the first Indian female track and field athlete to win two medals at the Paralympics. With this incredible accomplishment, she becomes the second Indian woman to win two medals at a single Paralympic Games, after shooter Avani Lekhara’s gold and bronze in Tokyo.
India’s second paralympic medal at the Paris Paralympics comes from Preeti’s bronze in the 200m T35 competition. Zhou Xia, the world record holder and Tokyo Paralympic champion, who won gold in a time of 28.15 seconds, and Guo Qianqian, another Chinese competitor, who took home silver in 29.09 seconds, presented her with fierce opposition.
The only other Indian woman to win a track and field medal at the Paralympics is Deepa Malik, a former president of the Paralympic Committee of India. Malik earned a silver medal in the shot put F53 category in the Rio Games in 2016. Athletes with hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, and cerebral palsy are classified as T35 athletes since they have coordination difficulties.
Preeti was born into a rural family on September 22, 2000, and she struggled physically from the start. Not even six days after her birth, her lower body was plastered, leaving her vulnerable to a variety of diseases due to weak legs and an uneven leg position. To strengthen her legs, she received a number of conventional procedures. Preethi has been wearing calipers since she was five years old. She showed amazing fortitude and resiliency in the face of life-threatening circumstances, dispelling fears about her survival.
Watching the Paralympic Games on social media at the age of seventeen changed Preeti’s outlook on life. She became aware that she might follow her aspirations after being motivated by the athletes. Although she was unable to pay for transportation, she began training at a nearby stadium. Meeting paralympic athlete Fatima Khatoon and learning about para-athletics completely altered her life. Preethi competed in the State Para Athletics Championships in 2018 and went on to compete in national tournaments under Fatima’s supervision. She finished fourth in the 100- and 200-meter events at the Asian Para Games 2022 because to her perseverance. Preethi was passionate about going to the Paralympic Games even though she didn’t receive a medal.
Ravi Rongali of India placed sixth in the men’s F40 shot put final earlier on Sunday, tossing a personal best throw of 10.63 meters.
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