Paris Paralympics 2024: They only knew but one colour of the medal on their neck, silvery, consoled silver medallist Yogesh Kathuniya at the Tokyo Paralympics and the two-time silver at the World Championships. He had always come second to Claudiney Batista of Brazil and it was again silver at the Paralympics 2024 – Yogesh sent the shot to a season high of 42. 22m to claim his second Paralympic gold in the men’s discus throw F56 final today.
Yogesh was very categorical when he expressed his desire for gold before Olympics saying ‘I am desperate to win gold It has become a fight for me now I have been doing silver I am tired of winning silver medals and being second all the time Now I don’t want another silver. ’
Yogesh even in 2009 para Asian games launched the furthest among all the competitors, but after normalising the data based on different factors, he was the second to Neeraj Yadav of India again. In international competitions it was silver, silver, silver, silver as far as he was concerned.
An athletics silver medal is quite alright to celebrate for the Indian sports fan but when Yogesh won his in Paris there was hardly a trace of a smile. The bitterness of having come second was all too visible on his face – he smiled for the newspapers and held the Indian flag, but as soon as he is in front of Batista again, it was another second-place finish.
If there was any doubt about who the prize was to be between, the other contenders might as well have been extras in a scene filmed in Rio De Janeiro. Batista was prepared to throw the discus and as a warm up he was practicing these throws which were very impressive. His first, a throw of 44 meters would be expected from a thrower who isn’t destined for greatness.
74m would have been enough to clinch gold but the Brazilian then proceeded to better his own Paralympic record in the next attempt with a 46. 45m. Each of the six throws that the Brazilian made would have fetched him a gold and when he eclipsed the Paralympic record with a throw of 46. In the fifth attempt he landed a throw of 86m and it was clear that he had challenged his Indian opponent in the best way.
However, it was possible to see that Yogesh did not have any sign of stress and was calm as he assumed his seated position. He had once record a throw of 48 in discus. 34m – it would be enough to finally win gold – but with old seating rules before they changed the rules allowing even the slightest upward movement of the top part of the legs off the seat.
He used to have problem with the new rules (where no gap is allowed off the seat) set during the Worlds this year where he scored 41. 80m to win. . . silver.
Yogesh was striking wonderful marks during warm up, all perky, thinking that the long elusive gold was nearing into his hands. A smile on his face, an indication that he had arrived at that zone where athletes get absorbed in a game, he pulled up his chest, tilted back his upper part of the body, twirled and released the discus. It flew 42. 22m.
Then it looked like Yogesh was going to add up to some thing; that he will make up the 4. Just 64 million votes, a lead which would be totally erased in the first place, behind the governing party. The same wind-up and yell and Yogesh left fly again – it was another confident preparation. The discus flew 41. 50m.
However, there were four more throws remaining, but the mere uncertainty made its way onto Yogesh’s face for a brief moment, which looked mildly like a wince. Fine, business of the third throw Now, the third idea is going to be as follows: . . 41. 55m
The disappointment seemed to be etched all over Yogesh’s face as he realized what was a reality. Heart and muscles and intentions were prepared for it, but the discus was not. As for the fourth and fifth throws; a bounce again and they were still not an improvement and as arrived at the final round the pain of silver was very clear.
Bent forward was his shoulders; the expressions of disappointment not only on his face but also on his coach’s seated in the stands.
Still, he made enough strength for the final throw-what was it to this one? This was just an easy to bear compared to his suffering in childhood- he had an illness at the age of nine, the neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome that caused quadriparesis- a condition in which a person loses muscle strength in all 4 limbs.
His mother was his saviour then and she started learning physiotherapy and within three years Yogesh gained enough muscles strength to walk. Looking at the sky 15 yearslater in Paris, Yogesh might have prayed to his beleaguered mother for help. He only had one last chance to win the gold and that is what he did.
He strained and released the discus into the air with a horrible cry– the shout turning into a cry of pain– ‘Jaaaa (Gooooo)’- as he pushed the discus away. It wouldn’t listen.
Silver, once more. That old pain once again, again. But when the pain fades, Yogesh understands that the smiles of fans, his family, which the silver medal brings – ‘Every time I come back with a silver medal , it leaves me a bit disappointed but when I return home and see the happiness in the faces of fans, my family I am happy’.
That is why, at the same time, there are only eight other Indians with multiple Paralympic medals. So Yogesh will have to start dealing with the pain of silver once again but at the same time he will get the pride he will get by knowing that he gave his best – and may be that is all the gold he will require.
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