Preethi Pal's Redemption: From Missed Asian Games Medals To Paris Paralympic Glory

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Preethi Pal has made history as the first Indian to win a Paralympic medal in a track event. The 23-year-old sprinter clinched a bronze medal in the women's T35 100m race at the Paris Paralympics with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.

This remarkable achievement is not only India's first track medal at the Paralympics but also the first para-athletics medal for the country at Paris 2024. The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, and cerebral palsy.

Preethi's journey to the Paralympic podium was not easy. Just last year, she narrowly missed out on medals at the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, finishing just microseconds short in both the 100m and 200m events.

However, these near-misses only fueled her determination. "I missed out on a medal at last year's Asian Para Games, and by microseconds, I missed two medals. I practiced in Meerut earlier, but my performance wasn't improving, so I had to work on my techniques," Preethi shared in an exclusive interview before leaving for Paris.

With her coach, Gajendra Singh, at Delhi's JLN Stadium, Preethi honed her skills, and the effort paid off. Her bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, secured her a quota for the Paris Paralympics and boosted her confidence.

Reflecting on her journey, Preethi said, "Winning a medal at the World Championships boosted my confidence. I practiced very hard for that."

Preethi's bronze in Paris marks India's 18th athletics medal at the Paralympics, but the first in a track event.