High jumper Shailesh opens gold account for India, two world records shattered

New Delhi: High jumper Shailesh Kumar opened India's gold medal account at the World Para Athletics Championships with a shock win while the unheralded Thekra Alkaabi of United Arab Emirates (UAE) shattered the world record in the relatively new women's 100m frame running event here on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Shailesh, the 2023 Asian Para Games champion, cleared 1.91m to shatter the championships record and win the men's high jump T63 event on the opening day of the showpiece which saw two world records being broken.

He beat T63 world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Ezra Frech of the USA, who took the silver with 1.85m.

Born to a farming family at Islamnagar village in Jamui district of Bihar, Shailesh's right foot was infected with polio when he was a kid.

"I used to compete with able-bodied athletes when I was in school. People told me why I was playing sports. They would say 'do a job or do something else'," Shailesh told PTI after the win.

"But I saw in the 2016 Rio Paralympics that this game happens in my category, then I decided to start in para sports," he added.

Shailesh said winning the gold in front of the home crowd was "special".

"The atmosphere was good, though the weather here is little hot. I have been training in Bengaluru (SAI facility) for the last 6-7 months. I came here 10 days ago so that my body can adapt. That also helped.

"Another thing is home food. When we go abroad, we don't get to eat Indian food. So, having Indian food helped me a lot."

Another Indian in the fray, Varun Singh Bhati clinched the bronze. He also jumped an identical height of 1.85m as Frech but the American got the silver on count back.

In fact, Frech was the favourite to win the gold, but Shailesh produced an upset to win his maiden world championships gold. Shailesh had finished fourth in 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Rahul, the third Indian in the fray, finished fourth with a personal best effort of 1.78m.

Shailesh, Bhati and Rahul are T42 athletes who have single above-the-knee amputations or a disability that is comparable.

T63 classification is for athletes with single through knee or above knee limb deficiency.

T63 and T42 athletes can be combined in a single event in case of less number of athletes competing, and the process was followed on Saturday.

In the women's 400m T20 final, defending champion Deepthi Jeevanji of India picked up a silver with a season best time of 55.16 seconds.

Turkey's Aysel Onder shattered her own world record of 54.96m to win the gold with a time of 54.51 seconds in the event meant for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The 20-year-old had finished second behind Deepthi in the 2024 edition and she thus avenged that defeat.

Earlier in the morning session, Alkaabi of UAE shattered the world record in the women's 100m T71 frame running event.

Alkaabi clocked 19.89 seconds to set the record and win the gold in the event in which athletes use a three-wheeled running frame, with a saddle, body support and most notably, no pedals.

The 23-year-old bettered the earlier world record of 20.08 seconds which was in the name of Lithuania's Bella Morkus set in July this year. On Saturday, Morkus took the silver with a time of 21.53 seconds while Miriam Dominikowska of Poland won the bronze in 23.56 seconds.

Alkaabi's earlier personal best in women's 100m T71 was 23.58 seconds. She had won a bronze in F32 club throw event in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

T71 is for frame runner track athletes who have movement highly affected in the trunk and legs.

Frame running, previously known as Race Running, is an adaptive athletic discipline, primarily for people with severe coordination and balance impairments such as cerebral palsy. The wheeled frame enables the legs to propel the athlete while helping to aid balance.

The frame running events of T71 and T72 classifications were introduced as official track disciplines by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2017. But it was not included in the roster of both the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Paralympics.

The 2023 and 2024 editions of World Para Athletics Championships did not have T71 event but both had T72 class.

T72 classification is for frame runner track athletes who have movement and coordination moderately affected in the trunk and legs.

The gold in the women's long jump T37 was expectedly won by world record holder Chinese Wen Xiaoyan with a meet record distance of 5.32m. She bettered her own earlier meet record of 5.22m which she had set while winning gold in the 2019 edition of the championships.

She holds the world record of 5.45m which she had set during the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

T37 classification is meant for athletes with cerebral palsy affecting coordination.

In the women's shot F41 event, meant for short stature athletes, Ariza Buitrago Mayerli of Colombia stunned world record holder Raoua Tlili of Tunisia to win the gold.

Mayerli sent the iron ball to a distance of 10.21m while Kubaro Khakimova of Uzbekistan took the silver with 10.17m. Tlili, who holds the world record of 10.55m, won the bronze with 9.96m.

Noelle Roorda of the Netherlands won her first world championships gold in women's javelin throw F46 with an effort of 43.74m.

F46 classification is meant for athletes with moderately affected movement in one or both arms or the absence of limbs.