Sheetal Devi made a remarkable debut at the Paralympics, breaking records and surpassing expectations in the women’s individual compound open ranking round at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The 17-year-old athlete, who shoots using her legs due to being born without arms, scored an impressive 703 points. This score was enough to surpass the existing world record. However, Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi ultimately set the new world record with a score of 704, narrowly edging out Devi for the top spot.
Despite this, Devi’s outstanding performance secured her a bye in the round of 32, along with the other top four finishers from the ranking round. She will advance directly to the round of 16, where she will compete against the winner of the match between Mariana Zuniga of Chile and Choi Na Mi of Korea. Both competitors finished 15th and 18th, respectively. India’s Sarita also performed admirably in the same event, finishing ninth with a score of 682.
This is not the first time Sheetal Devi has set a high standard in archery. Earlier in the month, she broke the ranking round world record previously held by Great Britain’s Phoebe Pine Paterson with a score of 698. Despite being overtaken by Cure, Devi’s consistent performance marks her as one of the top contenders for gold at the Paralympics.
Devi was born with phocomelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that resulted in underdeveloped limbs. Her unique ability to shoot with her legs has made her a sensation in the para archery world. She gained international recognition during the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, last year, where she became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Games and also secured a silver medal. Additionally, Devi made history by becoming the first armless woman to win a medal at the Para World Archery Championships.
In the men’s individual recurve open ranking round, Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Harvinder Singh finished ninth with a score of 637. The event was topped by Frenchman Guillaume Toucoullet, who set a new Paralympic record with a score of 652.