Paris Paralympics: Simran wins bronze in women's 200m T12 final.
India's Simran secured the bronze medal in the women's 200m T12 final at the Paralympic Games, achieving a personal best of 24.75 seconds.
Defying the odds with unwavering determination, India's Simran clinched the bronze medal in the women's 200m T12 final at the Paralympic Games on Saturday. After narrowly missing a podium finish in the 100m dash, Simran lived up to expectations with a personal best time of 24.75 seconds, overcoming a lifetime of challenges since birth.
Cuba's Omara Durand Elias took the gold with a time of 23.62 seconds, while Venezuela's Paola Alejandra Perez Lopez secured silver with 24.19 seconds.
The T12 classification in the Paralympics is designated for athletes with visual impairments.
Simran, 24, was born prematurely and spent ten weeks in an incubator, during which it was discovered that she had a visual impairment. In the 200m final, the gold medal battle was between Omara and Paola, while Simran was vying for bronze against Iran's Hajar Safarzadeh, who had a quicker reaction time. Simran pushed hard in the final stretch, finishing ahead of Hajar, who clocked 24.91 seconds.
Simran, who became the world champion in Kobe, Japan earlier this year, has faced numerous obstacles, including her father's chronic illness and eventual passing. She had previously finished fourth in the 100m event.
After the setback in the 100m competition two nights earlier, the 200m race provided Simran an opportunity for redemption. With the support of her guide, Abhay Singh, she gave her all and achieved her goal of standing on the podium.
This bronze was India's first medal of the day following disappointments in swimming, canoeing, and road cycling.
On Friday, Simran had advanced to the final with a time of 25.03 seconds, having topped her heat with a time of 25.41 seconds to reach the semifinals.
Trained by her husband, Gajendra Singh, who is a member of the Army Service Corps, Simran practices at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. Her breakthrough came at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championship, where she competed despite the fear of losing her father. Although she lost him shortly after the event, she channeled her grief into motivation, aiming to honor his memory through her achievements.
Since 2022, Simran has excelled in both national and international competitions, achieving significant success in the National Championship and the Indian Open in the 100m and 200m events. Additionally, she won two silver medals at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year and secured three gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and long jump at the inaugural Khelo India Para Games last December. Her consistent performance has earned her a spot in the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
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