Paris: India’s para-athlete Simran Sharma made history on Saturday, claiming a bronze medal in the Women’s 200m T12 category at the Paralympic Games with a personal best time of 24.75 seconds. Competing at the iconic Stade de France Stadium, Simran’s strong finish earned India its first-ever medal in the Women’s 200m T12 category, adding to the nation’s growing success at the Paralympics.
The 24-year-old visually impaired sprinter, accompanied by her guide Abhay Singh, powered through the race after a slow start. Her remarkable performance brought India its 28th medal overall in Paris and the 16th in para-athletics. This victory also marks Simran’s first Paralympic medal, having narrowly missed a podium finish in the 100m T12 race, where she placed fourth.
Cuba’s Omara Durand Elias continued her dominance in para-athletics, clinching the gold medal with a season-best time of 23.62 seconds, completing a sprint double after winning the 100m T12 earlier in the week. Durand’s victory in the 200m also marked her third gold medal in Paris, as she had previously triumphed in the 400m T12 event. Venezuela’s Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez secured the silver medal with a personal best of 24.19 seconds.
Simran’s achievement in Paris follows her gold medal at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, earlier this year, where she had also impressed in the T12 200m event. Born prematurely and diagnosed with visual impairment during her early weeks in an incubator, Simran has overcome significant challenges both physically and socially to become one of India’s top para-athletes.
Coached by her husband, Gajendra Singh, who works for the Army Service Corps, Simran trains at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Despite facing initial ridicule for her visual impairment, she has emerged as a top competitor, winning multiple national championships and silver medals at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Simran’s journey from her 11th-place finish in the Women’s 100m T13 category at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to her current success is a testament to her hard work and resilience. With her latest bronze in Paris, she continues to inspire the nation and sets her sights on further achievements in the years to come.