Just as they did in Rio 2016, Indian athletes have won two medals in men’s high jump T63 at the Tokyo Paralympics too. Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar won the silver and bronze respectively behind USA’s Sam Grewe on Tuesday.
This took India’s medal tally at Tokyo 2020 into double digits, a first for the country.
The contest went down to the wire as Mariyappan and Grewe battled it out for a clearance of 1.88m to decide the gold medal. The Indian couldn’t clear his three attempts while the American cleared it on his final attempt.
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Incidentally, Mariyappan had won gold in Rio while Grewe had taken the silver behind him.
Sharad Kumar won the bronze with a best clearance of 1.83m. He had missed out on the podium in Rio 2016, finishing sixth.
However, it was heartbreak for Rio 2016 bronze medallist Varun Singh Bhati who missed his three attempts at 1.80m and finished seventh.
It should be noted that the event was a combined one and the three Indians were in the T42 class.
Relevant sport classification for Men’s High Jump - T63 (with T42):
LIMB DEFICIENCIES - SPORT CLASSES: T42/F42 - T46/F46, T47; T/F61-64 These sport classes are designated for athletes with limb deficiencies, such as amputations or missing or shortened limbs from birth. All athletes in the 40s classes compete standing and do not use a wheelchair. In the sport classes 42-44 the legs are affected by the impairment and in the sport classes 45-47 the arms are affected, for example by above or below elbow amputations. Athletes with a leg deficiency who compete with a prosthesis are competing in classes T/F61- 64. For example, a shot putter with leg length difference competes in sport class F42. A shot putter with a single above knee amputation wearing a prosthesis competes in sport class F63.
Here’s how event has finished in Rio
