India won two gold medals, two silver, and one bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics on August 30. However, the total medal tally is seven and not eight because Vinod Kumar’s Discus Throw medal from yesterday was declared void.
Avani Lekhara creates history as the first Indian woman to win gold at the Paralympics
Avani Lekhara participated in the R2 (women’s 10m Air Rifle SH1)
(SH1 shooting – may use arms to hold the gun, can sit or stand based on your condition and choice)
The 19-year-old scored 249.6, equalling the world record and breaking the Paralympic record.
China’s Zhang Cuiping, the reigning Paralympic Champion, scored 248.9 to settle for silver.
Javelin Throw does it again for India
Sumit Antil won gold in Javelin Throw at the Paralympics in the F64 category, while Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh took Silver and Bronze in F46.
Sumit retained consistency and threw the Javelin past 65m in all his attempts but the sixth, which turned out to be foul. His five throws went 66.95m, 68.08m, 65.27m, 66.71m, 68.55m.
The fifth attempt clinched the gold for the 23-year-old Sumit.
Watch Sumit Antil’s gold-clinching throw.
Devendra Jhajharia, who won a gold in the 2004 Athens Paralympics and again in Rio in 2016, had to stand on the sidelines as Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympics did not have his category in the schedule. Once it was included in the Tokyo Paralympics, a medal was nearly assured by Devendra.
Devendra’s throw of 64.35m fell short of Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Priyan’s 67.79m but ahead of Sundar Singh Gurjar’s 64.01.
Here is Sundar Singh Gurjar’s Javelin Throw.
Silver in Discus
Yogesh Kathuniya fetched a silver by throwing the discus to a distance of 44.38m in his sixth and final attempt.
The 24-year-old athlete, who hails from Delhi, participated in the F56 category.
Yogesh’s throw fell short of Brazilian Claudiney Batista’s 45.59m, but ahead of Leonardo Diaz of Cuba, who threw 43.36m.
Yogesh managed a throw of 42.51m at the 2019 World Para Athletic Championships in Dubai and winning a Bronze.
Vinod Kumar’s Discus Throw Medal voided
Vinod Kumar competed in the F52 category, which the Paralympic Committee explains as follows –
“Athletes usually have good shoulder muscles and mildly weak to full elbow and wrist muscles which are required for throwing an implement. Finger flexor and extensor muscles are non-functional making grip of the implement difficult. The non-throwing hand usually requires strapping to the throwing frame.”
But the classification panel could not award a sport class to the Indian Athlete based on its assessment in the competition and the subsequent re-assessment, a statement said.