Para-athlete Anandan Gunasekaran scooped two gold medals in the disabled men’s 100m and 400m IT1 events to open India’s medal account at the World Military Games in Wuhan on Tuesday.
Gunasekaran clocked 12.00 seconds to win the 100m event, India’s first medal in the ongoing Games. Peru’s Casas Jose was second with a timing of 12.65 while of Fajardo Pardo Teodicelo of Colombia took the bronze with 12.72 seconds.
Later, the 32-year-old clinched his second gold by clocking 53.35 seconds in the disabled men’s 400m IT1 event. Colombia’s Teodicelo (58.95) and Ranchin Mickael (1:00.31) took the silver and bronze respectively.
The IT1 event is competed among ambulant athletes who have single or double below-the-knee amputation or substantial foot to knee damage. The IT4 event is competed among wheelchair participants who have spinal cord injuries or similar impairment but with full trunk function.
Gunasekaran is a 2018 National Para Athletics champion in 200m and 400m. He had also won a silver in 400m in the 2017 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.
National record holder shot putter Tajinder Singh Toor finished sixth in a world class field with a best throw of 20.36m. Toor was in search for Tokyo Olympics mark of 21.10m but he failed to touch it.
Romani Darlan of Brazil won the gold with a best throw of 22.36m while Poland’s Bukowiecki Konrad (21.84m) and Bob Bertemes (20.66m) of Luxembourg were second and third respectively.