India’s Preethi Pal etched history as she became the first-ever sprinter to win a medal for India at the Paralympic Games on Friday, August 30. The Indian athlete secured bronze medal in the women’s 100m T35 final, clocking 14.21 seconds. Notably, it was also her personal best.
The 23-year-old Indian athlete, who was competing at her first Paralympic Games, finished behind China’s Xia Zhou and Qianqian Guo. While it was India’s third medal after Indian para-shooters, Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal secured a gold and bronze medal respectively at the Para Games in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 final.
Who is Preethi Pal?
Preethi Pal, who etched into history book on Friday, August 30, hails from Uttar Pradesh. Pal overcame tremendous odds to make her mark on the world stage as a para-athlete. The 23-year-old UP-born athlete was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a very young age. Despite being diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Pal followed her passion of running, moving to Delhi for further expertise.
Preeti began her training in Delhi, under the guidance of coach Gajendra Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. She continued to push forward and got support from India’s key initiative, the Khelo India scheme. In May 2024, Preethi had a breakthrough moment at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan. The 23-year-old delivered stellar performance, winning a bronze along with registering her personal best timing of 30.49 seconds.
With her remarkable performance at the World Para Athletics Championships, she not only earned a Paris Paralympics quota, but went on to win India’s first-ever medal in athletics at the Paralympic Games.