Paris Paralympics 2024 Para Powerlifting: Sakina Khatun finishes 7th in women's up to 45kg final
Sakina Khatun would have hoped to put on a much better show in her second Paralympic Games appearance. At Paris Paralympics 2024, Sakina competed in the women's up to 45kg powerlifting final at La Chapelle Arena on September 4. However, she was unable to perform in the manner she would have liked to.
A total of nine para-powerlifters from around the world competed in an all-important final. Khatun finished the event in the seventh position. However, at the beginning of the contest, the 35-year-old started off in perfect fashion which would have surely raised the hopes of her team.
Sakina got off to a great start after listing 86kg for her first attempt. She hardly broke a sweat as it did not take much effort for her to lift the weight. When she walked off after the attempt, the applause from her team and the Indian supporters depicted the rise in confidence that they now had in her.
However, that proved to be the peak of her performance in the final as her campaign went downhill from there. The competition started to get much harder for the Indian as her opponents started to assert their dominance.
Sakina Khatun fails in two consecutive attempts after a solid start to see her dream crashing in Paris
Sakina Khatun would have been confident going into her second attempt after a good start. The Bengaluru-born para-athlete listed 90kg for her second attempt. Khatun gave it her all but failed to lift the weight.
She then aimed to lift 92 kg for her third attempt, however, failed to lift that too. With two consecutive unsuccessful attempts, the Indian culminated her campaign in Paris. Guo Lingling of China clinched gold with a best of 123 kg. Zoe Newson of Great Britain and Nazmiye Muratli won the silver and bronze, respectively.
A veteran of para-powerlifting, Khatun, had previously proved her talent by winning silver at 2018 Para Asian Games. She is also a 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner. However, she would be gutted not coming close to the podium at one of the most prestigious sporting competitions.