Preethi Pal made history by becoming the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win two medals at the Paralympics. She secured a bronze medal in the 200m T35 category at the Paris Paralympics with a personal best time of 30.01 seconds. This achievement also marked India’s second para-athletics medal at the Paris Games.

The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments, such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis. Despite these challenges, Preethi performed remarkably well, showcasing her speed and determination.

Earlier, on Friday, Preethi won another bronze medal in the women’s T35 100m event, also setting a personal best time of 14.21 seconds. This was a significant achievement, as it was India’s first-ever athletics medal in a Paralympic track event.

Until now, all of India’s athletics medals at the Paralympics, dating back to the 1984 edition, had been won in field events. Preethi’s success in both the 100m and 200m events represents a new milestone for Indian athletics, demonstrating the growing talent and potential of Indian athletes in track events at the Paralympic level. Her historic performance is a source of pride and inspiration for the country.