Mariyappan Thangavelu enters the Paris 2024 Paralympics with strong momentum, having won a gold medal at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan.
India sent 84 para-athletes to the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where they are competing for top honors, including para high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu, who is a strong contender for a medal.
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At 29 years old, Mariyappan Thangavelu from Tamil Nadu has already established himself as one of India’s premier para-athletes, boasting an impressive Paralympic record. His contributions to Indian para-athletics have earned him the prestigious Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. Mariyappan, who won a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, is now aiming to become only the second Indian para-athlete, after Devendra Jhajharia, to win two Paralympic golds.
A Glimpse into Mariyappan Thangavelu’s Journey
Mariyappan’s early life was filled with hardship. Born into a poor family in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, he was one of six siblings. His father left the family when Mariyappan was still a child, leaving his mother to raise the family on her own. She worked as a daily wage laborer and sold vegetables to make ends meet.
At the age of five, Mariyappan’s life took a tragic turn when a drunk bus driver ran over his right leg as he walked to school, leaving him with a permanent disability. However, this did not deter his spirit. Encouraged by his classmates, Mariyappan developed an interest in para-sports. Initially, he took up para-volleyball, but later switched to para high jumping on the recommendation of his physical education teacher.
In 2013, Mariyappan’s talent was recognized by Satyanarayana, the current head coach of the Indian Paralympic team. Satyanarayana took him under his wing in 2015, and Mariyappan’s journey to international recognition began. His first significant breakthrough came at the 2016 IPC Grand Prix in Tunisia, where he cleared a height of 1.78m in the men’s T42 category, securing his qualification for the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Mariyappan stunned the global audience in Rio, claiming gold in the T42 category with a remarkable 1.89m jump. This victory solidified his status as a force to be reckoned with in para-athletics. His success continued with a bronze medal in the T63 category at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, where he cleared 1.80m.
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At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, he won a silver medal, his second consecutive Paralympic medal, in the T63 category. He also added another silver medal to his collection at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Mariyappan Thangavelu enters the Paris 2024 Paralympics with strong momentum, having won a gold medal at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan. There, he cleared 1.88m, defeating Paralympic gold medalist Sam Grewe and former world champion Ezra Frech.