Indian sprinter Deepthi Jeevanji has clinched a bronze medal in the women's 400m - T20 event. The 2024 World Champion starred in the nine-athlete field to take the bronze home, clocking a time of 55.82s. This was India's third-ever medal in the track event at the Paralympics after Preethi Pal took two bronze at the ongoing Paris Summer Games.
The 20-year-old Deepthi came to Paris after winning the World Championship in Kobe earlier this year with a world record run of 55.07s. She had also won the gold in the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, clocking 56.69s to take the top prize home.
Her world record of 55.07s stood until yesterday, i.e. 2nd September before Turkey's Aysel Onder took it away from the Indian in Heat 2. Onder clocked 54.96s to take the World record. Ukraine's Yuliia Shuliar clinched the gold with a late surge in the race, clocking her personal best of 55.16s to take the top prize. The Turkish athlete Onder, who now holds the world record, took the silver after clocking 55.23s. Deepthi came third after being more than half a second behind at 55.82s. In the qualification, Deepthi had topped Heat 1 with a timing of 55.45s to qualify for the final.
President Droupadi Murmu extends her best wishes to Deepthi
India's president Droupadi Murmu also congratulated Deepthi for her medal in Paris. "Congratulations to Deepthi Jeevanji on winning bronze medal in women's 400m - T20 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She has demonstrated resilience and dedication in the face of several adversities. I wish her still higher achievements in the future," the President wrote.
Deepthi is the first Indian with an intellectual impairment to take part in the Paralympic Games. She belongs from Warangal in Telangana and is the daughter of daily-wage labourers J Yadagiri and J Dhanalaxmi. Deepthi took the sport five years ago when she was spotted by a coach in the Sports Authority of India - N Ramesh. The coach began to work with the athlete.
"She was spotted in a school meet through a PE teacher in Warangal. When I told them to send Deepthi, they said they didn’t have money for bus fare. I told them to just board a bus and give me the phone number of the conductor," coach Ramesh said during an interview with PTI.
"After that, I explained to the bus conductor to let her board the bus and told him I would pay the fare when she reached Hyderabad. During the 130 km journey from Warangal to Hyderabad, I kept calling the bus conductor inquiring about her safety," he added.
