With this bronze medal, India’s medal tally rises to 16, including three gold.
Paris: India’s world champion Deepthi Jeevanji won a bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20 category race, clocking 55.82 seconds in the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Tuesday. Deepthi, who turns 21 later this month, finished behind Yuliia Shuliar (55.16 seconds) of Ukraine and world record holder Aysel Onder (55.23) of Turkey. T20 category is meant for athletes with intellectual impairment.
A young athlete from Telangana, Jeevanji has made a remarkable impact on the world of para athletics. Despite facing challenges due to her intellectual impairment, Jeevanji has proved her mettle on the international stage. At the age of 15, Jeevanji was first spotted by N Ramesh, a coach from the Sports Authority of India (SAI), during a state-level athletics meet. Recognizing her potential, Ramesh took her under his wing and began training her.
Jeevanji’s journey in para athletics began with her participation in the Asian Youth Championships held in Hong Kong in 2019, where she won a bronze medal. Despite her intellectual impairment, which makes it difficult for her to express her feelings like other girls of her age, Jeevanji remained determined to excel in her sport.
She continued to train diligently and participated in various events organized by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) between 2019 and 2022. Her hard work paid off when she won a gold medal in both the 100m and 200m events at the Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in Guwahati.
Jeevanji’s success continued at the National Junior and Youth Championships, where she won multiple medals. Her achievements earned her the status of a Khelo India Athlete. Jeevanji’s most significant achievement came at the Asian Para Games 2023, where she created history by breaking the Games Record and Asian Record followed by a World Record of 55.07s registered at World Championship 2024.