Preethi Pal Ends India’s 100m Medal Drought with Bronze at Paris Paralympics

Paris: Preethi Pal made history by winning India’s first-ever medal in the 100m event at the Paralympics, securing a bronze in the 2024 Paris Games on Friday.

Competing in the women’s 100m T35 event, Preethi clocked a personal best of 14.21 seconds, making her the third Indian medalist at the 17th Summer Paralympic Games.

The 24-year-old athlete from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, delivered an outstanding performance, finishing behind China’s Xia Zhou and Qianqian Gou. Xia clinched the gold with a time of 13.58 seconds, while Gou secured silver, finishing at 13.74 seconds.

Women’s 100m T35 Final Results:

1. Xia Zhou (China) – 13.58 (SB)
2. Qianqian Gou (China) – 13.74 (PB)
3. Preethi Pal (India) – 14.21 (PB)

Earlier this year, Preethi earned a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships 2024 in Kobe, securing her place in the Paris Games finals. Although she narrowly missed out on medals at the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, she was a strong contender for a podium finish in Paris.

On Day 2 of the Paris Paralympics, India also celebrated a historic gold by star shooter Avani Lekhara and a bronze by Mona Agarwal in the women’s 10m air rifle event.