Praveen Kumar Strikes Gold in Paris Paralympics Men's High Jump T64, Sets New Standard for India

NEW DELHI: Praveen Kumar struck gold in the men's high jump T64 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics as he cleared a season-best 2.08 meters. The 21-year-old from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, continued his rise in the para-athletics world with this being his second successive Paralympic medal. Kumar had won silver at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics with a personal best of 2.07 meters. And so, this victory in Paris makes him the history maker for the country as he is only the second Indian to clinch gold in Paralympic high jump after Mariyappan Thangavelu.

With a competition of six in the field, Kumar had a good one indeed. USA's Derek Loccident finished second by clearing 2.06 meters and Uzbekistan's Temurbek Giyazov with a personal best of 2.03 meters finished third. Being an athlete under the T44 category, that is meant for lower-limb impairments, Kumar had been classified under and had participated in the T64 event scheduled for athletes having a moderate impairment in one or both legs.

Kumar's win helped the Indian medal tally soar in the Paris Paralympics, to a total of 26 medals, including six gold medals, nine silver, and 11 bronze. He was also the third Indian high jumper to win a medal in Paris. First was Sharad Kumar winning a silver in the men's high jump T63 and then Mariyappan Thangavelu in bronze.

A native of Govindgarh in Noida, Kumar's journey has been one of resilience and hard work. Born with a shorter leg, he felt inferior as a child but sought solace in sports, initially volleyball, before finding his calling in high jump. The breakthrough came when he took part in an able-bodied athletics competition and caught the attention of para-athletics coach Dr Satyapal Singh, who asked him to focus on high jump.

Ever since then, Kumar has been making and breaking records and hauling in medals from across the world. In 2022 alone, he secured gold at the Asian Para Games with a new Asian record of 2.05 m. He had victories against his name earlier for a silver in 2019 at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships and a gold at FAZZA Grand Prix in Dubai earlier this year itself.

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