Paralympics: Nishad Kumar wins silver in men’s high jump, 2nd medal at Games

Paris Paralympics. The 24-year-old added to silver medal in the same event from Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.

Nishad achieved a season-best jump of 2.04m, finishing behind USA’s Roderick Townsend, who also won the gold medal in Tokyo.

Nishad Kumar came up with a stunning effort in the men’s high jump T47 event to dominate the 11-man field. However, Townsend cleared the 2.12m mark for his season best and a gold medal. Nishad appeared dejected after failing the third attempt to clear 2.08m. However, Townsend rushed toward him and shared an embrace, after which both the high jumpers had a smile on their faces.

Georgii Margiev, who represented the Neutral Paralympic Athletes, won bronze with a best effort of 2m.

Nishad had set out to the Paris Paralympics to better his medal from Tokyo. However, Townsend proved to be the hurdle for Nishad, yet again. The Indian high-jumper, however, will be fuelled to keep pushing himself and keep raising the bar.

Meanwhile, another Indian high jumper, Ram Pal, finished seventh in the event with a personal best of 1.95m.

With Nishad’s medal, India took its tally in athletics to 3 medals after Preethi Pal won her second medal in Paris, a bronze in the women’s 200m T35 event. India won 8 medals in track and field in Tokyo.

At the age of six, Nishad suffered a severe accident when his right hand got severed by a grass-cutting machine on his family farm. Despite this setback, he found solace in sports, particularly athletics, which was encouraged by his mother, a state-level volleyball player and discus thrower. He took up para-athletics in 2009 and has since become a force to be reckoned with in the sport.

Nishad headed into the Paralympics after winning a silver medal at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan and the spirited high jumper did not disappoint in Paris.