Paris Paralympics: Kanchan misses out on medal, Deepthi qualifies for final

Paris [France], September 3 (ANI): India athlete Kanchan Lakhani missed out on a podium finish in the women’s discus throw – F53 event while Deepthi Jeevanji finished first in the women’s 400m-T20 round 1 and qualified for the final.

Lakhani’s campaign in the women’s discus throw event ended after she finished in the seventh position. Her personal best attempt of 10.06m came in the final throw. But even her personal best effort wasn’t enough to earn her a spot on the podium.

Brazil’s Elizabeth Rodrigues Gomes broke the Paralympic record to take away the gold with a massive throw of 17.37m.

Japan’s Keiko Onidani snatched the silver medal with a throw of 15.78m, and Ukraine’s Zoia Ovsii settled for a bronze medal with her season-best attempt of 14.17m.

Meanwhile, Deepthi Jeevanji finished first in her women’s 400m-T20 round 1 in 55.45s. She qualified for the final of the event, which is to take place on September 3.

Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar clocked her season-best timing of 56.49s to secure the second spot and qualify for the final. Brazil’s Antonia Keyla Da Silva Barros also produced her season’s best performance. She finished third and qualified for the final with a timing of 57.54s.

Before Kanchan bowed out of the event, on the other side of the stadium, in the men’s javelin throw F64 final, the defending champion Sumit Antil broke his record at the Paris Paralympics twice to clinch India’s third gold in the ongoing marquee event in Paris.

He kicked off the proceedings with a throw of 69.11m and broke his own Paralympic Record of 68.55m that he set in Tokyo. In his second throw, he bettered his Paralympic record by sending his javelin to a record-breaking distance of 70.59m, rewriting the Paralympic record yet again.

Before Sumit, shuttler Nitesh Kumar, who discovered his passion in badminton at IIT-Mandi, added a second gold to India’s medal tally in the men’s singles SL3 category. Before him, shooter Avani Lekhra got his hands on the nation’s first gold at the Paris Paralympics with a sensational display in the women’s 10m air rifle final.