Devendra Jhajharia breaks own world record to punch Tokyo Paralympic berth

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia broke his own world record on Wednesday to confirm his Tokyo Paralympic berth.

Regarded as the greatest Paralympian, Jhajharia threw the spear to a distance of 65.71m during the national selection trials in Delhi. With the throw, he shattered his own world record of 63.97m, set at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.

Following the feat, Devendra Jhajharia told PTI:

"Today at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, I qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics by setting a new world record of 65.71, breaking my older record of 63.97 in a qualifying event."

He dedicated the win to his family and coach Sunil Tanwar on Twitter.

"This was possible because of my family's support, and the efforts of my coach Sunil Tanwar and fitness trainer Lakshya Batra," Devendra Jhajharia tweeted in Hindi.

जवाहर लाल नेहरू स्टेडियम दिल्ली में आज क्वालिफ़ाई प्रतियोगिता में पुराने 63.97 मीटर अपने ही विश्व कीर्तिमान को तोड़ नया कीर्तिमान 65.71 बना कर टोक्यो के लिए क्वालिफ़ाई किया है मेरे परिवार का सहयोग ओर कोच सुनील तंवर ओर फिटनेश ट्रेनर लक्ष्य बत्रा की मेहनत से ये सब कर पाया हुँ pic.twitter.com/mgTWaLHuZ1

— Devendra Jhajharia (@DevJhajharia) June 30, 2021

The Tokyo Paralympics will begin on August 24. It will be the 40-year-old Devendra Jhajharia's third apperance at the Paralympics.

Who is Devendra Jhajharia?

Devendra Jhajharia hails from Churu district in Rajasthan. He competes in F46 events and is the first Indian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics.

Jhajharia lost his left arm at the age of eight while climbing a tree. He touched a live electric cable and despite receiving medical attention, he lost his arm.

Devendra Jhajharia came to prominence in 2002 after winning a gold medal in the 8th FESPIC Games in South Korea. The Rajasthan-born athlete qualified for the 2004 Summer Paralympics and set a world record.

The 40-year-old became the second Indian Paralympian to win a gold medal after Murlikant Petkar at the 1976 Heidelberg Paralympic Games.

Devendra Jhajharia failed to defend his title at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. In 2016 at the Rio Paralympics, he secured his second gold medal, bettering his previous record, when he threw the spear to a distance of 63.97m.

With exactly a year to go for @Paralympics 2021, it feels amazing to be back on the field and have a go at throwing the Javelin after being at home for so long. pic.twitter.com/XBeCoxZ50Y

— Devendra Jhajharia (@DevJhajharia) August 24, 2020

A former Indian Railways employee, he is currently working for the Sports Authority of India. Devendra Jhajharia is the 2014 Para-Sportsperson of the Year and is also the first Paralympian to be honored by Padma Shri (2012).