The Paralympic Committee of India had named a 24-member squad for athletics, headlined by star javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia and high ...
The Paralympic Committee of India had named a 24-member squad for athletics, headlined by star javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu, for the Tokyo Paralympics. The size of the athletics contingent for Tokyo alone is bigger than the entire contingent that went to Rio 2016 where Mariyappan and Jhajharia won gold medals.
Jhajharia and Mariyappan won gold in the F46 javelin and T42 high jump events respectively in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
Mariyappan will have the additional honour of being the flagbearer at the opening ceremony for Tokyo 2020.
F/T42 classification in track and field is for athletes with a leg deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in the legs, with athletes competing in a standing position.
While his sport class is T42, Mariyappan will be competing in the T63 category, which is for athletes with a leg amputation, who compete with prosthetics in a standing position.
| Event | Name | Schedule: |
|---|---|---|
| Men's High Jump - T63 | Varun Singh Bhati, Sharad Kumar & Mariyappan Thangavelu | 31 Aug, 15.55 hrs |
On day two of the Rio Paralympics, Mariyappan won India its first medal of the Games with a phenomenal performance in the men’s...
