India’s Yogesh Kathuniya has secured a silver medal in the men’s discus throw F-56 event at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris. Kathuniya achieved a season's best throw of 42.22 meters, marking his second consecutive silver medal in this event. He previously won silver at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.
The gold medal went to Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos, who set a new Games record with a throw of 46.86 meters on his fifth attempt. Greece’s Konstantinos Tzounis earned the bronze medal with a throw of 41.32 meters.
The F-56 category is a classification for athletes with amputations and spinal cord injuries, competing in a seated field event.
Yogesh Kathuniya previously won silver in the men's discus throw F-56 event at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. The 27-year-old Indian athlete faced tough competition from Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos, whose impressive performance secured him the gold medal.
Batista broke the all-time Paralympics record with his second throw of 46.45 meters, surpassing the previous record of 45.59 meters. He further extended the record with a throw of 46.86 meters in his penultimate attempt, marking another significant milestone in his career.
With this latest achievement, Batista now boasts three Paralympic gold medals. He first won gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 and successfully defended his title in Tokyo in 2021. Additionally, Batista is a three-time world champion, having claimed gold at the 2019, 2023, and 2024 World Championships in Dubai, Paris, and Kobe respectively. He also won a silver medal in men’s javelin throw at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Despite his strong performance, Yogesh Kathuniya’s quest for Paralympic gold continues. He achieved his season-best throw of 42.22 meters on his first attempt but was unable to surpass this distance in his subsequent attempts. His remaining throws measured 41.50 meters, 41.55 meters, 40.33 meters, 40.89 meters, and 39.68 meters.
Yogesh Kathuniya's Career Highlights:
S. No. Tournament Event Medal
1. 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Discus Throw F-56 Silver
2. 2023 Paris World Championships Discus Throw F-56 Silver
3. 2024 Kobe World Championships Discus Throw F-56 Silver
4. 2019 Dubai World Championships Discus Throw F-56 Bronze