Paris 2024 Paralympics Para-Athletics: Preethi Pal clinches bronze, wins India’s first medal in women’s 100m T35 final

Indian para-athlete Preethi Pal won a bronze medal in the women’s 100m T35 event on Friday in the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympics. She registered a personal-best timing of 14.21s to finish third at the event.

Pal’s bronze medal is the first Paralympic medal won by an Indian para-sprinter in the event. The 24-year-old para-athlete’s journey also saw her become the first Indian para-athlete to win a medal in the women’s 100m T35 event at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe.

Meanwhile, Chinese para-athletes swept the top spots, with Zhou Xia winning the gold medal with a time of 13.58 seconds and Guo Qianqian taking the silver medal with a time of 13.74 seconds.

This is the second-consecutive gold medal won by Zhou Xia in the event, with the Chinese para-athlete winning the top prize in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics as well with a Paralympic record timing of 13.00s.

Preethi Pal’s bronze medal win on Friday took India to the 11th spot on Friday in the Paris 2024 Paralympics. India had also won one more bronze medal and a gold medal, both in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

Tokyo 2020 medalist Avani Lekhara took home a second-consecutive Paralympic gold medal, while debutant Mona Agarwal got the bronze medal in the event on Friday.

With three medals claimed by Day 2 of the Paralympic Games, India is well on its way to better its medal haul from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, when it had won a total of 19 medals.

Paris 2024 Paralympics Women’s 100m T35 Final Full Results

1. Zhou Xia (People's Republic of China): 13.58
2. Guo Qianqian (People's Republic of China): 13.74
3. Preethi Pal (India): 14.21
4. Fatimah Suwaed (Iraq): 14.82
5. Ingrid Renecka (Poland): 15.29
6. Jagoda Kibil (Poland): 15.54
7. Nienke Timmer (Netherlands): 15.69
8. Isabelle Foerder (Germany): 16.36
9. Saltanat Abilkhassymkyzy (Kazakhstan): 16.52