Preeti Pal Wins Bronze in Women's 100m T-35 at Paris Paralympics
India secured its first athletics medal at the Paris Paralympics with a bronze, thanks to sprinter Preeti Pal. The 23-year-old achieved a personal best time of 14.21 seconds in the Women's 100m - T35 Final at Stade de France, earning her third place. China's Zhou Xia, the world record-holder, claimed gold with a time of 13.58 seconds, while her teammate Guo Qianqian took silver with a time of 13.74 seconds.
A bronze medallist in the World Para-Athletics Championship 2024, Preeti is a gold medallist in both the Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship (2024) and the National Para Athletics Championship (2024). She had narrowly missed a place on the podium in the 2022 Asian Para Games at Hangzhou last year, finishing fourth.
Despite her challenging beginnings, the 23-year-old from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, could not be overshadowed. Preeti Pal delivered an outstanding performance, clocking her personal best to secure the bronze medal. Born into a farming family in rural UP, Preeti faced significant physical obstacles from birth, including having her lower body plastered for six days. Her weak legs and irregular leg posture made her susceptible to various health issues.
Preeti underwent various traditional treatments to strengthen her legs but had to start wearing callipers at the age of five and wore them for eight years. Despite many doubting her survival, she proved to be a fighter, overcoming life-threatening conditions to demonstrate incredible strength and resilience. She got interested in para-sports at the age of 17 after watching clips of the Paralympic Games on social media. Her life changed a few years after starting to practice athletics when she met her mentor, Paralympian Fathima Khatoon.
Encouraged by Fathima, Preeti took part in district, state, and national competitions and made her international appearance at the Asian Para Games last year. To qualify for the Paris Paralympic Games, Preeti moved to New Delhi to train under coach Gajender Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the national capital. With help from her coach, she refined her running techniques, leading to significant improvements in her timing.
Preeti secured her first international medals at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championship, where she earned bronze in both the 100m and 200m events. At the Paris Paralympics, she realized her dream by winning a bronze medal in the Women's 100m T35. Next, she will compete in the 200m event, aiming to add a second medal to her debut Paralympics achievements.
