India’s Mahendra Gurjar Sets World Record in World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Switzerland

India’s Mahendra Gurjar made the country proud by setting a world record in the men’s javelin F42 category at the Nottwil World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Switzerland. The 27-year-old athlete won the gold medal with a record-breaking throw, proving his talent and determination.

World Record Throw

Gurjar made a world record throw of 61.17 meters in his third attempt. His first two throws were 56.11 m and 55.51 m. After the record throw, he also made three more throws measuring 58.54m, 57.54m and 58.07m. He broke the previous world record of 59.19m, which was set by Brazil’s Roberto Floriani Edenilson in 2022.

What is the F24 Category?

The F24 category is for athletes who have moderate movement problems in one leg. These attempts take part in field events like javelin and long jump.

Combined Event Participation

Gurjar competed in a combined event, where athletes from different categories such as F40, F57, F63 and F64 also participated. Even though it was a mixed competition, he won the gold medal in the F42 category and made a world record in the same.

Second Gold in Long Jump

This was Gurjar’s second gold medal at the Grand Prix. On May 23, he also won the long jump T42 event with a jump of 5.59 meters.

This was his first competition in long jump and with this gold, he is now ranked number one in Asia in this category.

F42 Not in Major Games

Sadly, the F42 category was not part of the 2023 Hangzhou Paralympic Asian Games and will also not be included in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Sumit Antil Also Wins Gold

Another Indian athlete, Sumit Antil, also performed well. He won gold in the men’s javelin F64 category with a strong throw of 72.35 meters.

F64 is for athletes who have movement problems in one or both legs or may not have limbs.