Paralympics 2024 — India’s para-archer Sheetal Devi made a remarkable start at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by surpassing the existing world record qualifying score in the women’s individual compound archery event. Sheetal shot an impressive 703 points out of a possible 720, eclipsing the previous world record of 698.
However, her outstanding performance was narrowly overshadowed by Turkey’s Oznur Girdi Cure, who set a new world record with 704 points, just one point ahead of Sheetal’s score. Despite this, Sheetal’s performance earned her the second position in the overall ranking round, securing her a spot in the round of 16 at the Paris Paralympics.
A Remarkable Feat Without Arms
What makes Sheetal’s achievement even more extraordinary is that she is one of the few archers at the Paralympics who competes without arms. Among the three armless archers at the Paris Paralympics, Sheetal stands out as the only female competitor, alongside American archer Matt Stutzman and Belgium’s Piotr Van Montagu.
Stutzman, featured in the Netflix documentary The Rising Phoenix, is widely regarded as a pioneer of this unique technique. Sheetal had the opportunity to meet him and learn from his experiences during the World Championships last year, further honing her skills.
A Promising Campaign Ahead
As she continues her campaign in Paris, Sheetal Devi’s remarkable resilience and skill have already made her a standout athlete at the Paralympics. Her inspiring journey and near-world-record performance have set a strong tone for India’s campaign at the Paralympics, and she remains one to watch as the competition progresses.
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