Sumit Antil made history this Monday as he became the first Indian man to win the gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Winning gold in the F64 javelin throw, with a record of 70.59 metres, this was India’s successful second victory at the Paris Games.
A 26-year-old sportsman, Sumit Antil hails from Sonipat, Haryana and this time at the Paris Games he surpassed his own previous Paralympic record of 68.55 metres which he had successfully set in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020. Remaining among the best, Sumit Antil’s javelin throw has earned him the position of a world record holder in the category with a throw of 73.29 metres. With the Sumit Antil gold medal win, he cemented his position as the most dominant Indian athlete on the global stage. Through the six Sumit Antil javelin throws on Monday night, there was only one foul by the player. Getting only better as compared to his previous Paralympic Record in Tokyo 2020, Sumit Antil gold medal was won thrice on Monday. Setting the new Paralympic record of 69.11 metres on his first attempt, he was prominently placed at the top of the standings.
With Sumit Antil’s Paralympics win, he has now become a part of the exclusive group of three Indians to have won the gold at the Paralympics. His position reigns alongside that of Avani Lekhara and Devendra Jhajharia.
Other than Sumit Antil’s Paralympics win, his other achievements include winning the gold medal in the World Para Athletics Championships in both 2023 and 2024, at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.
Sumit Antil had set a target of crossing the 75-metre mark for himself, which he could not surpass despite his incredible performance. Till date, no other competitor has been able to cross the 70-metre mark, and despite the various challenges, Antil remains the star competitor at the Paralympics.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is accurate only as of the date of publication.