Paris Paralympics 2024 Para-Athletics: Navdeep Singh clinches silver in men’s javelin throw F41 event

Navdeep Singh clinched a silver medal in the final round of the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-athletics men’s javelin throw F41 event on Saturday, finishing second with a personal-best throw of 47.32m.

Navdeep had a nervy start to the event, failing to complete his first throw successfully. However, he came back with a bang in his second attempt, registering a throw of 46.39m to propel himself to the second spot.

Navdeep’s third attempt was one to savor, as he created a new Paralympic record with a massive throw of 47.32m, going top of the table. Navdeep broke the previous Paralympic record of 47.13m created by China’s Sun Pengxiang in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020.

With another gold medal in sight, it was Navdeep’s turn to cement his position on the top to add to India’s historic medal tally in the ongoing Paralympic Games.

However, the Indian para-athlete failed to complete a valid throw in his fourth attempt. Navdeep’s luck seemed to turn in the opposite direction from then on, as he failed to improve upon his score in his fifth attempt, registering a throw of 46.05m.

That was preceded by yet another Paralympic record-breaking throw from the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Sadegh Beit Sayah of Iran, who registered a throw of 47.64m to leapfrog to first place in the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-athletics men’s javelin throw F41 final.

In the last and most crucial attempt, Navdeep failed to break the Paralympics record for the third time in the event, failing to complete a valid throw and settling for a second-place finish.

Sadegh Beit Sayah, who was given a yellow card for ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’, took home the gold medal in the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-athletics men’s javelin throw F41 event with a best throw of 47.64m.

World record holder and Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Sun Pengxiang, who was nowhere near his best in the tournament, had to settle for a bronze medal with a best throw of 44.72m.

Meanwhile, 2023 ParaPan America Games gold medalist Ever Rene Castro Martinez of Cuba performed poorly at the Stade de France on Saturday and finished at the bottom of the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-athletics men’s javelin throw F41 event with a best throw of 34.34m.

For Navdeep Singh, the result will be an immensely heartbreaking one, considering that he was leading the match for a long period.

However, he will take heart from the fact that his performance on Saturday was a massive improvement from Tokyo 2020, where he finished in the fourth position with a best throw of 40.80m.

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Paris Paralympics 2024 Para-Athletics Men’s Javelin Throw F41 Final Results

1. Sadegh Beit Sayah (Islamic Republic of Iran) – 47.64
2. Navdeep (India) – 47.32
3. Sun Pengxiang (People's Republic of China) – 44.72
4. Wildan Nukhailawi (Iraq) – 40.46
5. Ye Kah Michel (Côte d'Ivoire) – 37.69
6. Ever Rene Castro Martinez (Cuba) – 34.34