Paris Paralympics 2024 Day 7 Highlights: Harvinder Singh clinches historic archery gold; Dharambir gets gold, Pranav bags silver in club throw 1-2 finish

I first met Harvinder Singh in 2018. To see him winning a historic archery gold in Paris Paralympics is heart warming. I report about Singh’s journey in today’s @IndianExpress https://t.co/9VbMI2M7d0

— Nitin Sharma (@Nitinsharma631) September 4, 2024

India's 24 medals with 5 gold puts them 13th on the medal tally. That is quite remarkable. The two gold medals today, play a big part. 

Harvinder Singh & Dharmabir, the stars of the show. And Pranav, Sachin with fine silver medals. 

For the first four throws, Dharambir struggled. It seemed nothing was going his way. But he took his time to reset, and went BIG on his fifth throw for a 34.92m Asian Record to win Gold medal.

Pranav Soorma finished 4th at the World Championships earlier this year, but he goes two better at the Paralympics and wins Silver medal with the best throw of 34.59m.

What a night! 

IT's A GOLD AND SILVER FOR INDIA!

Photo: PCI

There was a brief hint of Graovac potentially disturbing the top three... but not to be. Two medals confirmed for India. Colours TBC soon.

32.21m with his third attempt for Serbia's Graovac and he is pushing compatriot's mark for a bronze. 

Filip Graovac is causing a late flutter! 31.39 with his first throw, then improves to 32.09 with his 2nd. 

On Wednesday at the brilliant setting of Invalides in Paris, Harvinder Singh went where no Indian archer had gone before in the history of the Paralympics or Olympics. In a sport that has been synonymous with heartbreaks and missed opportunities over the years, Harvinder clinched gold in Para Archery - Men's Individual Recurve Open event to take India's medal tally to 22 at the Paris Paralympics 2024.

And Harvinder did so by saving his best for the last in the final against Poland's Lukasz Ciszek. He shot 9, 9, 10 in Set 1. He shot 9, 9, 10 in Set 2. Then, with the finish line in sight, he shot 10, 10, 9. In recurve archery over 70m, to not shoot a single arrow outside the gold zone on the target was a stunning display of high-pressure matchplay. 

8 athletes done... and still, Dharambir-Pranav remain 1-2. One medal officially confirmed.

India at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games LIVE Updates: Harvinder Singh wins gold!!!!

Screenshot via Paralympics YouTube

e are down to the 8th out of 10 athletes, and the Indians at the top are still placed 1-2.

Amit Saroha just couldn't quite get his rhythm going. Two of his best throws both ended up going outside the sector. Not to be for the veteran (who's contribution to para sport goes beyond competing in events... as he mentors many athletes, including Dharambir who is top of the standings as of now) 

Men's Club Throw - F51 Final Five athletes are done.

Dharambir, Pranav are still 1-2. Next up is Amit Saroha, the veteran.

deleting_message

Pranav Soorma will go next in this event. Two athletes have finished their throws after Dharamabir and his mark of 34.92 is still the one to beat. And Pranav goes up to 2nd with his first throw of 34.59.

Pranav Soorma will go next in this event. Two athletes have finished their throws after Dharamabir and his mark of 34.92 is still the one to beat. And Pranav goes up to 2nd with his first throw of 34.59.

As he makes history in Paris, here's a Harvinder Singh throwback video from May 2020.

Before Tokyo, to keep his training going during lockdown, he asked his father if he could convert the farm into a practice area. And it was done. 

“I used to initially practice indoors but it is very different with the wind and other factors. So I asked my father if I could convert the farm into a practice area. So even during the lockdown, I could train,” Harvinder had told reporters after his bronze in Tokyo.

Archery in progress @ArcherHarvinder pic.twitter.com/eLhcpR9hvR

— Harvinder Singh (Archery) (@ArcherHarvinder) May 19, 2020

India have a pathbreaking gold medal at the Paralympics, thanks to Harvinder Singh. And we have a pathbreaker in the stands, the teenage Sheetal Devi, to celebrate the medal. She had claimed a bronze medal in the mixed team compound archery herself a couple of days back! 

There you go! India wins its fourth gold medal at the Paris Paralympics, and it comes thanks to Harvinder Singh who beats Poland's Lukasz Ciszek 6-0! Flawless, absolutely flawless! 

With this achievement, Harvinder becomes the FIRST & ONLY Indian Archer to win a GOLD  medal at Paralympics & Olympics and secure medals in two consecutive editions of Paralympics

HARVINDER LEADS 4-0!!!! 

Poland's Lukasz Ciszek shot three 9s in the second end, and Harvinder responded with two 9s.

Harvinder Singh needed a 10 in his final arrow to win the second set, and a 10 he delivers! 

LITERALLY NO EMOTION FROM HIM. THE LINE JUDGE SHOWED MORE EMOTIONAL THERE! 

The Indian archer wins the first end after taking a 28-24 lead! he shot a 10 with his second arrow, while the rest of the two arrows were 9s. 

Poland's Lukasz Ciszek, meanwhile, has isses after an arrow from him almost lands in the 6 ring, but just about catches the line and it rated as a 7! But he still cannot comeback from that. His scores are 9, 7, 8. 

This means the first set points go to Harvinder, who now leads 2-0.

Gold medal match between India's Harvinder Singh and Poland's Lukasz Ciszek starting now! Harvinder has already won bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics. He's on course to win his second medal here. 

Simran Singh, who is the 200m world champion, has started her 100m campaign with a solid, solid 12.17s and wins her heat from the outside lane. First in each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) advance to the semi-finals, so she reaches the next stage. Simran’s guide who runs alongside her is Abhay Singh.

It didn’t go to plan for Dharambir here, as he has started his with FOUR foul throws. Couple into the netting on the sides, and one outside the sector too. But with his fifth THROW, Dharambir throws 34.92m, close to his PB of 35.04. He has laid down the marker for the rest of the field.

Four foul throws from Dharambir, before he throws the club to a distance of 34.92m with his fifth attempt. His sixth and final attempt is 31.59m. So Dharambir's competition is done. Now he awaits the rest of the 10-player field, who will all have six throws each. That's lower than his personal and season best of 35.04m. The World Record in the sport belongs to Russia's Musa Taimazov who threw 36.22m in August last year. The Paralympic record, meanwhile, was also set by Taimazov, when he threw the club to a distance of 35.42m in Tokyo three years back.    

The seated throwing events in Para Athletics work differently, where athletes will throw all of their attempts in go one go. Since they have to be harnessed to throwing frames, athletes have to be strapped in, they get a couple of warmup attempts and after that, have to finish throwing their six tries. Then they wait to see how those after them go.

The men's club throw F51 event is starting with three Indians in action, including one of India's medal hopefuls, Dharambir. 

There are also Pranav Soorma and Amit Kumar in action. 

Here's the startlist:

Harvinder Singh will take on Lukasz Ciszek in the final after the Poland archer defeated Taylor Kenton-Smith in the second semi-final.

HARVINDER SINGH MAKES HISTORY: The first Indian archer ever in the history of Olympics or Paralympics to reach a final.

Set 4, India 7-3 Iran: WHAT A FIRST ARROW FROM AMERI. Perfect 10. Harvinder did alright with a 9, staying in touch. After 2 arrows each, it is 18-18. Ameri with a 8 with his last arrow... Harvinder can win with 8 or 9 or 10! AND HE SHOOTS AN 8. 

HARVINDER IS INTO THE FINAL. (Turns out even a 7 would have done, but wow.)

Set 4, India 5-3 Iran: Ameri starts with a 7... what a chance here for Harvinder, but he can't quite take it! He starts the set with a 8. Ameri with 9, Harvinder then with 8 again! Low-scoring set this, 16-16. But ONCE MORE Harvinder has the chance to win the set with a 10... and HE DOES IT! Harvinder is on match point here in the 5th and final set, just needs a split set at least. 

Set 3, India 3-3 Iran: Ameri's first arrow of this set is 7... and a window for Harvinder! But he shoots an 8. Oh dear. But with his last arrow of the set... Harvinder has the chance to clinch it with a 10. And much like he did in his previous rounds, he does finish the set with a 10!!! Harvinder BACK in this. 

Set 3 about to start. 

Set 1, India 1-3 Iran: Harvinder with a better start to this set, into the gold zone for two 9s. Ameri started with an 8, but nails a 10! 18 for both archers with an arrow to go... Harvinder with three 9s... and Ameri also with a 9. Split set. Uff, the tension here. 

Set 1, India 0-2 Iran: Maybe early nerves... but that's not a great start. A very widely separated 8 & 7 to start. The set is over before the Indian's last arrow, but it is a nice 10 to maybe ease his nervousness. Ameri, 9-8-9. Not high scoring from both archers. 

Harvinder will go first again in. Set 2. 

Here we go then. Mohammad Reza Arab Ameri will shoot first. 

PARA ARCHERY (RECURVE) QUICK GUIDE:

• The three classes in para archery are recurve open, compound open and W1. Athletes in the open category usually have an impairment in either the top or bottom half or one side of their bodies. In W1, archers have an impairment in both the top and bottom halves of their bodies and the torso. India have entries in the recurve open and compound open categories. 
• Recurve and Compound, of course, refer to the type of bow that archers use in their respective classes. In W1, an archer can use either type of bow, but some restrictions apply. 
• Like at the Olympics, recurve archers shoot from a distance of 70 metres at targets measuring 122 centimetres in diameter.
• In recurve elimination matches, a set system is used like at the Olympics. Each archer / team shoot a series of arrows called ‘sets’. Whoever wins the set, gets 2 points. If the set is drawn, it is 1 point each. In an individual match, whoever reaches 6 points wins. And if there is a tie, one-arrow tiebreak where closest to center wins.

Ameri came through his quarterfinals with Sets of 26, 28 and 27. Harvinder Singh will need to be at his solid best... if he wins, it will be a moment of history for Indian sport. 

Here we go then, in about 20-25 minutes from now, after the next two quarterfinals will be done, Harvinder will take on Iran's Mohammad Reza Arab Ameri, the World Championships bronze medallist from last year. 

Set 4, India 6-2 Colombia: Harvinder matches Ramirez's 9 with his first arrow. Ramirez with an 8... and Harvinder doesn't make the most of it with a 7! But Colombian with an 8. Harvinder with a chance to shoot a 10 and win the match... AND HE DOES IT! 

HARVINDER SINGH IS BACK INTO THE SEMIFINALS. Just as he did in Tokyo, when he bronze. 

Once more Ramirez will shoot first as he is trailing. 

Set 3, India 4-2 Colombia: Harvinder under a little bit of pressure after a Ramirez 10 to start the set. The Indian with 9, 8... and Ramirez can win the set with 10, but it is a 9 (8* actually). Harvinder has a window to tie the set with a 10! And he does it. 

We wait to see if the Colombian's last arrow is 8 or 9... it is given 9 and it is indeed a split set. 

SakSakina Khatun will finish 7th, after her third attempt of 92 is not cleared.

Set 2, India 3-1 Colombia: Harvinder starts with a 9. Long hold for Ramirez's first arrow and it is a 7. Harvinder with another 9! And he has lots of cushion, after another Ramirez 7. Harvinder has won that set comfortably.

Since it's a tied set, and Harvinder started shooting, he will shoot first again in Set 2. 

Set 1, India 1-1 Colombia: Harvinder Singh starts with a 9 to start... but he follows that with two 8s, dipping down to the left. He will need a course correction. Thankfully for the Indian, Ramirez's last arrow is also an 8. The set is split, both archers kinda get away with. 

HArvinder Singh is here. One win away from returning to the semifinal of the Paralympics.

Here's the story by Nitin Sharma on Sheetal Devi last year, that has earned him an award.

Congratulations @nitinsharma631 on winning the #LaadliMediaAwards For presenting the inspiring story of a young female archer

— Laadli (@Laadli_PF) September 4, 2024

The medal session begins at Invalides... and Harvinder Singh's quarterfinal will be the second match.

Here's a look at how Harvinder and Ramirez reached the last 8. The Colombian with the big upset to defeat the top seed.

Sakina Khatun'ws 2nd attempt gets two red lights, and one white. So it will not be registered as a good lift. The press wasn't deemed to be clean, it seems.

Sakina Khatun is here for her 2nd attempt. 

China's Guo Lingling's first attempt is ALREADY A NEW PARALYMPIC RECORD. Uff, the levels.

 Comments from silver medallist AJEET SINGH (IND) after the Men’s Javelin Throw F46 final at Stade de France on Tuesday.

On the silver medal:

“I didn’t perform well at the Paralympics in Tokyo (2020), so this time I concentrated on a medal – any colour. I wasn’t focused on gold, I just wanted any medal, so I am very happy.

“I was world champion last year, but I only got bronze at the world championships in Kobe this year. I was not in good condition then, as I was focused on being ready for Paris (2024).

“So a silver medal here means everything. There is still room for improvement, but here I wanted one medal, and silver is great.”

On India’s javelin success:

“Two medals for India in this event is great. Javelin in India is growing such a lot, it’s a real trend in India.

“There are a lot of secrets behind our javelin success. If I tell you guys, the secret will be out, so that will stay with us.

“We all know each other, we all train together. Last season I was with Neeraj CHOPRA (Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games champion) at a training camp.

“He’s a brilliant guy. I have learned such a lot from him – his passion, his concentration. 

“Everything related to his training is extremely focused – his attitude, his lifestyle, everything he does is the best.”

At @Paris2024 fans have access to Vision Pads. These touch-sensitive interaction tablets enable people with visually impairments to follow the position of the ball in real time and feel the vibrations as the intensity of the competition increases. pic.twitter.com/WXHYNa4WgK

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) September 4, 2024

Sakina Khatun's first attempt has been changed to 86kg, and it is a good lift with two white flags out of three judges.

Sakina Khatun's event about to begin.

How powerlifting works: Lifters select their own weights for the barbell. A coach helps them remove the bar from the racks. On command, the lifter lowers the bar to their chest, holds it, and then presses it overhead until their arms are fully straight, with the elbows fully locked. Judges decide if the lift is successful. Lifters get three tries, and the one who lifts the heaviest weight wins. Three attempts per athlete.

There are only different weight categories in this event, there are no other classifications. Any athletes "with a functional limitation of the lower limbs or hips that prevents them from practising standing weightlifting compete together."

For powerlifting, the eligible impairments are:

• Orthopaedic disability
• Cerebral palsy
• Neurological disability

One to be bookmarked: When Avani Lekhara broke her own Paralympic Record to win 10m air rifle standing SH1 for the second straight time. 

Smiles all round and a new Paralympic record for Avani Lekhara in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 ? ?#Paralympics | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/yn057GjgM1

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) September 3, 2024

Coming up soon is India's 2nd powerlifting event. Sakina Khatun in action.

Here's a look at the starting attempts listed