Sandeep Chaudhary breaks world record, earns Tokyo Paralympics quota

While javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary broke the world record and won gold at the World Para Athletics Championship, Sumit Antil, who won silver, also broke one. Both of them earned Tokyo Paralympics quotas.

Sandeep Chaudhary won the gold medal with a 66.18 metres javelin throw at the World Para Athletics Championship in Doha on Friday (Screengrab)

Javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary broke the world record and won gold at the World Para Athletics Championship in Doha on Friday. He also secured a Tokyo Paralympics quota.

And the men’s javelin F64 goes to…
🥇@Sandeep_Javelin 🇮🇳
🥈S. Sumit 🇮🇳
🥉R. Novak 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/ApT0Gh00gg

— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) November 8, 2019

Sandeep hurled the javelin to a distance of 66.18m to better his own world record of 65.80m in the F44 category.

In a rare 1-2 feat for the country, the silver at the event also went to an Indian. Sumit Antil clinched the silver medal with a 62.88-metre throw. Sumit also secured a Tokyo Paralympics quota for the country. Sumit also bettered his own F64 world record.

A glimpse of #SandeepChaudhary’s world record throw of 66.18m at the Para World Championships where he broke his own world record of 65.8m set earlier this year.#KheloIndia @KirenRijiju @RijijuOffice @PIB_India @PMOIndia @ddsportschannel @IndiaSports pic.twitter.com/VVmJ66nH1q

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) November 8, 2019

The F44 and F64 were clubbed into one combined event in this World Championships. The world records are, however, counted according to the classification of the athletes.

Roman Novak of Ukraine, a F44 athlete, took the bronze with a best throw of 57.36m.

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The F44 category athletes have leg amputations or reduced function in one or both legs, and they compete without a prothesis.

The F64 category athletes have limb deficiency and leg length difference, and they compete with prosthesis.

Sandeep Chaudhary and Sumit set new world records in Men’s Javelin F64 (42-44, 61-64) at the Para World Championships. Sandeep won gold with a throw of 66.18m (F44) while Sumit won silver with a throw of 62.88m (F64). @KirenRijiju congratulates them both on this achivement.

— Kiren Rijiju Office (@RijijuOffice) November 8, 2019

India has sent a 23-member team to the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, where Tokyo 2020 Paralympics qualification slots are up for grabs.

(With PTI inputs)