India Paralympics 2024: Analyzing performances of Women athletes

The 2024 Paris Paralympics has come to a close, and it’s been a remarkable experience for the Indian contingent. Over the course of 10 exhilarating days, the Indian athletes delivered more than just expected performances—they created history and set new milestones. While there were high hopes for Indian athletes to excel, they surpassed these expectations with their achievements. Revered stars like Sumit Antil and Mariyappan Thangavelu continued their impressive runs with podium finishes, reinforcing their status in the Paralympic arena. However, the spotlight also shone brightly on lesser-known athletes who made their mark with medal-winning performances, with some achieving their first-ever podium finishes at the Paralympics. Their achievements were a testament to their dedication and talent.

Celebrated performances by India Paralympics 2024 female athletes

Moreover, the women athletes from India had a breakthrough campaign in Paris. The Indian contingent celebrated a record 29 medals, with 10 of these being won by women. This represents the highest number of women medallists from India in a single edition of the Paralympics. The success of both male and female athletes underscores the progress and potential of Indian Paralympic sports, marking the Paris Games as a significant milestone in their sporting history.

Before the recently concluded Paris Paralympics, only three Indian women had earned medals at the Paralympics: Deepa Malik (Silver in Rio 2016), Avani Lekhara (Gold and Bronze in Tokyo 2020), and Bhavina Patel (Silver in Tokyo 2020). Remarkably, India had no female Paralympic medallists until 2016, a significant 44 years after Murlikant Petkar won India’s first-ever Paralympic medal in 1972. It wasn’t until the 1984 Paralympics that Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla became the first Indian woman to compete in para-athletics.

The 2024 Paris Paralympics marked a historic breakthrough for Indian women in the sport. Besides Avani Lekhara, who clinched gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing event, nine new Indian female athletes secured medals. Thulasimathi Murugesan earned silver in badminton, while Preethi Pal won two bronze medals in athletics. Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis both claimed bronze in shooting. Manisha Ramadass, Nithya Sre Sivan, Sheetal Devi, Deepti Jeevanji, and Simran Sharma also added to the medal tally with bronze medals in badminton, archery, and athletics, respectively.

Before the recently concluded Paris Paralympics, only three Indian women had earned medals at the Paralympics: Deepa Malik (Silver in Rio 2016), Avani Lekhara (Gold and Bronze in Tokyo 2020), and Bhavina Patel (Silver in Tokyo 2020). Remarkably, India had no female Paralympic medallists until 2016, a significant 44 years after Murlikant Petkar won India’s first-ever Paralympic medal in 1972. It wasn’t until the 1984 Paralympics that Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla became the first Indian woman to compete in para-athletics.

The 2024 Paris Paralympics marked a historic breakthrough for Indian women in the sport. Besides Avani Lekhara, who clinched gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing event, nine new Indian female athletes secured medals. Thulasimathi Murugesan earned silver in badminton, while Preethi Pal won two bronze medals in athletics. Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis both claimed bronze in shooting. Manisha Ramadass, Nithya Sre Sivan, Sheetal Devi, Deepti Jeevanji, and Simran Sharma also added to the medal tally with bronze medals in badminton, archery, and athletics, respectively.

In the women's individual compound 1/8 elimination round, Sheetal Devi narrowly missed advancing, losing to Chile’s Mariana Zuniga by just one point, 137-138. The pressure of the match may have contributed to the close loss, but Sheetal’s mental resilience was evident as she later secured a bronze medal in the mixed team compound event.

Avani Lekhara, a key medal hope, achieved a notable win by claiming gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing. However, she fell short in her other two events, finishing without medals in the women’s 50m 3P and the mixed 10m air rifle prone. Yet, the Paralympics often bring unexpected successes. Preethi Pal’s performance was a prime example. She won two bronze medals, first in the women’s 100m T35, making her the first Indian athlete to win a track medal at the Paralympics. Preethi furthered her achievement by adding another bronze in the 200m event. Her successes were a resultant to the unpredictable and remarkable nature of the Games.