Javelin thrower Sumit Antil bagged India’s second gold at the ongoing Paralympics Tokyo games on Monday, shattering the men’s F64 category world record multiple times.
In the morning, Shooter Avani Lekhara clinched India’s first gold at the games, by winning women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.
23-year-old Antil from Haryana’s Sonepat, had lost his left leg below the knee after he met with a motorbike accident in 2015. However, he set a new world record, by sending the spear to 68.55m in his fifth attempt.
He, infact bettered the previous world record of 62.88m, which was also set by him, five times on the same day. While his last throw was a foul, his series of throws read 66.95m, 68.08m, 65.27m, 66.71m, 68.55m and foul.
Silver and bronze medals were won by Australia’s Michal Burian (66.29m) and Sri Lanka’s Dulan Kodithuwakku (65.61m) respectively.
The F64 category in Paralympics is for athletes with amputated legs, who compete with prosthetics in a standing position.
Before his accident, Antil was an able-bodied wrestler. In 2018, a para athlete from his village initiated him to the sport.
In the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3, he also competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on March 5 in Patiala.
With a best throw of 66.43m, he finished seventh, while Chopra shattered his own national record with a big throw of 88.07m.
At 2019 World championships in Dubai, he won a silver in the F64 javelin throw.
