Praveen Kumar won India's 6th medal in men's high jump T64 event

Indian paralympic athlete Praveen Kumar won India’s 6th medal in the men’s T64 high jump competition at the 2024 Paris Paralympics finals. He made a new Asian record by clearing 2.08 meters to win his second straight Paralympic title.

Praveen was a 21-year-old young athlete from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He is the second Indian to achieve a gold medal after Mariyappan Thangavelu. He was born with a shorter leg but jumped 2.08 meters which was the best jump of the season and his first win on stage.

Derek Loccident of the United States won a silver medal in the same competition with the best jump of 2.06 meters. However, Temurbek Giyazov of Uzbekistan came in third with a best jump of 2.03 meters.

However, Praveen competes in the T64 category. It is for athletes whose lower leg movement is moderately limited or who have missed one or both legs below the knee.

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Despite a short leg challenge, Praveen Kumar won India’s 6th medal at the T64 high jump finals competition. With this win, he became the third Indian high jumper to win a gold medal in Paris following Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu.

Sharad won the silver medal while Mariyappan Thangavelu won a bronze medal in the men’s high jump T63 event. Praveen had also won silver at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics with a personal best jump of 2.07 meters. This was a great example of his continued success on the world stage.

He also made history as the youngest para athlete by winning a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic silver medal. He won this medal in the men’s high jumpy T64 category with an incredible jump of 2.07 meters. Overall, India’s rank at the Paris Paralympics stands at 26 medals including six gold, nine silver, and 11 bronze.