Paris Paralympics 2024 Para Athletics: Preethi Pal creates history yet again, wins bronze in the women’s 200m T35

Indian para athlete Preethi Pal made history yet again by winning a bronze medal in the women’s 200m T35 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The incredible achievement marks India’s first-ever medal in the 200m at the Paralympics, and it’s just the latest chapter in Preethi’s remarkable journey.

Competing against some of the best athletes in the world, the 23-year-old athlete from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, clocked a personal-best time of 30.01 seconds to secure her spot on the podium.

Her performance was nothing short of inspiring, especially given the stiff competition she faced. China’s Xia Zhou took gold with a time of 28.15 seconds, and her teammate Guo Qianqian won silver, finishing in 29.09 seconds.

Despite the tough competition, Preethi Pal held her own and brought home a medal that will forever be remembered in Indian sports history.

Women’s 200m T35 Finals result:

Zhou Xia - People's Republic of China - 28.15 seconds - Gold
Guo Qianqian - People's Republic of China - 29.09 seconds - Silver
Preethi Pal - India - 30.01 seconds - Bronze
Suwaed Fatimah - Iraq - 31.06 seconds
Renecka Ingrid - Poland - 31.79 seconds
Kibil Jagoda - Poland - 32.13 seconds
Foerder Isabelle - Germany - 34.39 seconds

Preethi Pal earlier clinched India's first-ever medal in women’s 100m T35

This isn’t the first time Preethi Pal has made headlines at the Games. Just a couple of days earlier on August 30, she bagged another bronze in the women’s 100m T35 event, becoming the first Indian to ever medal in that event at the Paralympics.

She completed the race in 14.21 seconds, another personal best for her, and finished behind the same Chinese duo who also took the top two spots in the 200m. With two medals in as many events, Preethi has shown that she’s a force to be reckoned with on the track.

Preethi’s success in Paris didn’t come out of nowhere. Earlier this year, she won a bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, which set the stage for her impressive performance at the Paralympics.

And while she narrowly missed out on medals at the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, her determination and hard work clearly paid off this time around.