Paris: Indian para-sprinter Deepthi Jeevanji won her maiden bronze in the women’s 400m T20 category in the ongoing Paris Paralympics here Tuesday. Deepthi clocked the timing of 55.82 seconds at the Stade de France to finish behind Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar (55.16 secs) and Turkiye’s world record holder Aysel Onder (55.23 secs).
Deepthi, who won gold at the Para Asian Games and the World Championships, finished 0.66 seconds behind the gold medallist. It is India’s sixth medal in para-athletics after Preethi Pal (two bronze), Nishad Kumar (silver), Yogesh Kathuniya (silver) and Sumit Antil (gold) won medals in their respective disciplines.
India has so far claimed 16 medals in the Paris Paralympics and sits in 18th place in the standings.
Deepthi, a young athlete from Telangana, 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, she was first spotted by N. Ramesh, a coach from the Sports Authority of India (SAI), during a state-level athletics meet. Recognising her potential, Ramesh took her under his wings and began training her.
Deepthi’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, Deepthi 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. Deepthi’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 in 2023, where she created history by breaking the Games Record and Asian Record followed by a World Record of 55.07s registered at the World Championship 2024. Her exceptional performance earned her a gold medal, cementing her place as a rising star in the world of para-athletics.