Paris Paralympics 2024: Yogesh Kathuniya Frustrated with Another Silver, Vows to Work Harder for Gold

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Paris, Sep 2: Indian para-athlete Yogesh Kathuniya claimed his second consecutive silver medal at the Paralympics, but the 27-year-old discus thrower from Haryana is far from satisfied.

On Monday (September 2), Kathuniya secured a season-best throw of 42.22 meters in the F56 category at the Paris Paralympics, earning him a spot on the podium. Yet, the silver medal seemed more like a burden than an achievement for the athlete, who feels stuck in a frustrating pattern of second-place finishes.

Despite the impressive result, Kathuniya expressed his disappointment and determination to break the streak of silvers that has followed him since the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

"The event was okay, I got a silver. I will work harder to change the colour of the medal," a rather dejected Kathuniya said after his event. "For some time, I'm winning silver only - be it Tokyo, today, World Championships, or the Asian Games. Everywhere, I'm winning silver. Gaadi atak gayi hai (I'm stuck on silver). I think I need to work harder. Now I want gold."

This silver marks Kathuniya's fifth consecutive second-place finish in major competitions since 2021. He has previously claimed silver at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, as well as the Asian Para Games last year.

Kathuniya's journey to this point has been nothing short of extraordinary. He developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling, and can lead to paralysis.

Once wheelchair-bound, Kathuniya's recovery was largely thanks to his mother, who learned physiotherapy to help him regain muscle strength and walk again.

However, his performance at the Stade de France fell short of his own high standards. It was inferior to his 44.38-meter throw at the Tokyo Paralympics and well below his personal best of 48 meters, which he achieved at the Indian Open-a meet not recognised by World Para Athletics.

"Today was not my day," Kathuniya admitted. "My performance is consistent, but today I don't feel that happy. My family will be happy, they must be celebrating. My coach has helped me a lot. I did very well in training, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to replicate it today."

The F56 category, in which Kathuniya competes, is designated for athletes who participate in field events from a seated position. This category includes athletes with various physical impairments, such as amputations or spinal cord injuries.