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Triple Paralympic medallist high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu will hope to perform as well as he has in the past when he puts a blade on his right leg in the coming weeks. The 29-year-old, who won a bronze in the Paris Paralympics, is planning to have the surgery, most probably, in Bengaluru in the coming weeks, so that he would be ready for the World Para Championships scheduled at home (New Delhi) from September 26 to October 5. Due to the impending surgery, Mariyappan is not participating in the ongoing National Para Athletics Championships.
He will also miss the World Para Athletics Grand Prix from March 11 to 13 in New Delhi. READ | Sumit Antil and other Paris Paralympics stars set to compete at 23rd National Para Athletics Championships in Chennai “I am confident the National para athletics championships will help athletes from Tamil Nadu, especially those from the villages. I am also confident that the blade will help me in my jump,” said Mariyappan, here on Tuesday.
His coach Sathyanarayana, said with the blade, his ward will move from category T42 to T64 (blade inserted below the knee). He insisted that placing a blade is a shift in strategy and is sure to fetch Mariyappan a gold at the World Championships in New Delhi. “I have been telling him to put a blade since 2017, but only now he became convinced.
At the moment, there are only two high jumpers who have blade, both are from USA,” said Sathyanarayana, who is the head coach of the Indian National para teams. “Mariyappan has explosive power in his leg, and with a blade, he can do more, and with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics coming up, he will be 30+ years of age. So I think this will be a good move.
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