India’s Praveen Kumar has secured the gold medal in the men’s high jump T64 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, achieving a remarkable jump of 2.08 meters. This victory marks his second consecutive Paralympic medal, following his silver at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, where he set a personal best of 2.07 meters.
The 21-year-old athlete from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has now etched his name into history as only the second Indian to win gold in Paralympic high jump competitions, joining the ranks of Mariyappan Thangavelu. Born with a shorter leg, Kumar demonstrated his exceptional prowess by delivering a season-best jump in a competitive field of six athletes.
The silver medal was claimed by the USA’s Derek Loccident with a jump of 2.06 meters, while Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov secured the bronze with a personal best of 2.03 meters. Kumar competes in the T44 classification, which is designated for athletes with lower leg movement affected to a low or moderate degree, whereas the T64 category is for those with moderate movement impairment in one lower leg or missing one or both legs below the knee.
Praveen Kumar's triumph at the Paris Paralympics adds to India's impressive performance in the games. He is the third Indian high jumper to medal in Paris, following Sharad Kumar’s silver and Mariyappan Thangavelu’s bronze in the men’s high jump T63 event. With this achievement, India's medal tally at the 2024 Paralympics stands at 26, including six golds, nine silvers, and 11 bronzes.
Born in Govindgarh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Kumar made history as the youngest para-athlete to win a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medal, where he claimed silver with a jump of 2.07 meters. His journey, however, has been marked by challenges. Born with a shorter leg, Kumar initially grappled with feelings of inferiority. He found solace in sports, first discovering a passion for volleyball before turning his focus to high jump after participating in an able-bodied athletics competition.
Under the guidance of Dr. Satyapal Singh, a para-athletics coach who saw his potential, Kumar shifted his focus to high jump, a decision that proved transformative.
His accolades include a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games with a new Asian record of 2.05 meters, a silver at the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championship in Nottwil, Switzerland, and a gold at the 2021 World Para Athletics FAZZA Grand Prix in Dubai, where he set an Asian record.
His recent bronze at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championship further solidified his status as a leading athlete in his category and ensured his qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
