Paralympics 2021: 23-year-old Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver medal in discus throw

It is raining medals for India as Yogesh Kathuniya won the country’s third silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics. The 23-year-old registered throws of x, 42.84, x, x, 43,55 and 44.38. His sixth attempt was his season's best throw (0.09m short of PB) but was enough to help him finish second on the podium in the F56 discus throw event.

The son of an Army man, Yoghest Kathuniya suffered a paralytic attack at the age of eight which left him with coordination impairments in his limbs. It was his grit and determination that helped him overcome the odds to etch his name in history.

His 44.38m throw on Monday kept him in top spot before Claudiney Batista of Brazil fired 44.57m in his first attempt to dethrone the Indian athlete.

Yogesh Kathuniya got off to a poor start as his first throw was deemed a foul but the Indian para-athlete soon made up for it with a massive 42.84m attempt. However, he registered fouls on two consecutive throws before making his silver medal-winning throw in the F56 classification.

In F56 classification, athletes have full arm and trunk muscle power. Pelvic stability is provided by some to full ability to press the knees together.

Leonardo Diaz Aldana of Cuba gave the Indian discus thrower a close fight but wasn't able to breach Yogesh's throw on Monday. He scored his season-best (43.36) but it wasn't enough for the 46-year-old athlete.

Yogesh Kathuniya’s achievements

Yogesh Kathuniya won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai with a throw of 42.51m which helped him book the Tokyo Paralympic berth.

It was during his time at the KMC that his potential was noticed by several coaches and he soon came under the tutelage of Satyapal Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehuru Stadium.

A few years later, he came under the guidance of coach Naval Singh. He created a world record in F36 category in his first ever international competition in 2018 at the Para-athletics Grand Prix in Berlin.