Paralympics: After 100m, Preethi Pal wins 200m bronze in historic Games show

Preethi Pal, 23, capped off a historic performance at the Paralympics with her second bronze medal on Sunday, September 1.

The sprinter from Uttar Pradesh won bronze in the women’s 200m T35 event, days after winning a bronze in the women’s 100m event in the same class. Preeth became the first athlete to win a track medal at the Paralympic Games with a victory in the 100m event.

Preethi Pal, who was born into a farming family in Utarr Pradesh, won the bronze in the women’s 200m event with a personal best of 30.01s. Preethi started off the blocks wonderfully well and maintained her pace throughout to head home with two medals from the Paralympics.

China made it 1-2 in the 200m event as Zhou Xia won gold with a timing of 28.15s and Guo Qianqian won silver with a timing of 29.09s. Preethi was a distant third, but she was well ahead of Fatimah Suwaed of Iraq with a difference of more than 1 second.

T35 is a disability sport classification for disability athletics running competitions. It includes people who have coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis. This includes people with cerebral palsy.

PREETHI PAL NOT FAZED BY HURDLES
Preetihi faced significant physical challenges from birth. Her lower body was plastered just six days after she was born, and she struggled with weak legs and irregular leg posture, making her prone to various diseases. To strengthen her legs, she underwent numerous traditional treatments.

At the age of five, Preeti began wearing calipers, which she continued to use for eight years. Despite many doubts about her survival, Preeti demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience, overcoming life-threatening conditions and emerging victorious. Her perspective changed at 17 when she watched the Paralympic Games on social media. Inspired, she realised that she, too, could pursue her dreams.

Determined to improve, she began practising at the stadium, though financial constraints made transportation difficult. Her life took a pivotal turn when she met Paralympic athlete Fatima Khatoon, who introduced her to para-athletics. With Fatima’s support, Preeti competed in the State Para Athletics Championships in 2018 and participated in numerous national events. Her efforts bore fruit when she qualified for the Asian Para Games 2022, finishing 4th in both the 100m and 200m sprints.