Paris, Aug 30: In an exceptional display of skill, Sheetal Devi, the armless archer from Team India, secured a spot in the round of 16 in the Women’s Individual Compound Open ranking round at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. Competing at the Esplanade Des Invalides on August 29, 2024, Sheetal delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 703 out of a possible 720 points. This score not only placed her second but also surpassed the previous ranking round world record of 698 set by Phoebe Pine Paterson of Great Britain.
Turkish archer Oznur Girdi Cure claimed the top spot with a world record score of 704 points. Sheetal’s achievement ensures she, along with the other top three finishers, advances directly to the round of 16, bypassing the round of 32.
At just 17, Sheetal has already made a significant impact in para sports, having made headlines last year at the Asian Para Games by becoming the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition, alongside a silver medal.
In other events, Indian cyclist Jyoti Gaderiya did not advance, finishing last in the women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit qualifying round. Meanwhile, in the para badminton competition, Sukant Kadam, Suhas Yathiraj, Tarun, Nitesh Kumar, and Thulasimathi Murugesan had a strong start with wins in their opening men’s singles matches. However, Mandeep Kaur and Manasi Joshi lost their respective women’s singles group stage matches. The mixed doubles team of Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sre, seeded second, also faced defeat in their group stage match.
The Paralympics continue to showcase inspiring performances and challenging moments for athletes from around the world.