Indian para-athletes Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu starred in the men's high jump - T63 of the ongoing Paralympic Games 2024. Sharad won a silver medal, while Mariyappan bagged home a bronze in the high jump event.
Sharad Kumar bagged a bronze in the previous Paralympic Games too and improved the colour of the medal in Paris. While the two Indians claimed a double podium finish, 19-year-old American athlete Ezra Frech took home with a new Paralympic record of 1.94m jump.
Sharad was in the fight for the gold but could not go past his best mark of 1.88m. He went for the 1.91m and 1.94m but could not clear either of the mark as he settled for a silver.
Mariyappan creates history
Mariyappan has become the first Indian to win medals in three consecutive editions. He had won a gold in 2016 and a silver in the 2020 edition of the Games. This bronze completes his third medal set too.
Three Indians Mariyappan Thangavelu, Shailesh Kumar and Sharad Kumar were in the fray for medals. Thangavelu is already a gold medallist at the Paralympics 2016, winning the top prize in the Men's High Jump T42 event. He took a silver in the last Paralympics in the High Jump - T63 category.
