Mariyappan Thangavelu clinches Paralympic gold in T42 high jump while Varun Bhati claims bronze medal in Rio
Indiau00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0099s Mariyappan Thangavelu jumps in the menu00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0099s T42 high jump final during the Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. PIC/AFP
India’s Mariyappan Thangavelu jumps in the men’s T42 high jump final during the Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. PIC/AFP
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Rio de Janeiro: Mariyappan Thangavelu became only the third Indian ever to clinch a Paralympic gold, while Varun Bhati secured a bronze as the duo scripted history for the country in the men’s T42 high jump event of the ongoing Rio Games here on Friday.
The 21-year-old Thangavelu, who was merely five years old when his right leg was crushed by a speeding bus while he was on his way to school, joined Murlikant Petkar (1972, swimming) and Devendra Jhajharia (2004, javelin throw) in the Indian Paralympics gold club.
Thangavelu won the yellow metal with his best jump of 1.89m, leaving behind world champion Sam Grewe of the USA who registered 1.86m.
Bhati’s best effort was also 1.86m but he had to settle for the bronze medal on count-back, making it the first instance of two Indians finishing on the podium in the same event of a Paralympic Games.
The T-42 classification is for athletes with lower limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.
In the same event, there was disappointment for another Indian athlete Sharad Kumar who failed to finish on the podium.
Kumar had led the pack at one stage but his best jump was only 1.77m which placed him sixth. There was massive competition as six out of 12 athletes cleared the 1.74m mark in their first eight attempts.
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