Paris: India’s armless archer Sheetal Devi finished second in the women’s individual compound open ranking round with a stunning performance to directly make a round of 16 entry in the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.
The 17-year-old Devi from Jammu and Kashmir, who shoots with her legs as she was born without arms, scored a total of 703 points out of possible 720 to finish second behind Oznur Girdi Cure of Turkey, who set a ranking round world record of 704 points.
In fact, Devi also got past the ranking round world record of 698 set by Phoebe Pine Paterson of Great Britain earlier this month, but the Turkish archer overtook her to claim the coveted mark.
Devi shot 59 10s and 24 Xs while her Turkish opponent had 56 10s and 29 Xs in the 72-arrow contest on the opening day of competitions at the Paralympic Games.
The top-four finishers in the ranking round, including Devi, got byes from the round of 32 competition and they will feature in the round of 16 on Saturday.
Devi will face the winner of round of 32 match between Mariana Zuniga of Chile and Choi Na Mi of Korea, who finished 15th and 18th respectively in the ranking round.
Zuniga had won a silver in the women’s individual compound open in the Tokyo Paralympics.
Other Indian in the fray, Sarita finished ninth with a score of 682 and will face Abdul Jalil Nur Jannaton of Malaysia in the round of 32 on Friday.
Devi had become a sensation during last year’s Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where she became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Games. She had won a third medal — a silver — also.
She had won gold medals in the women’s individual compound as well as mixed team event and a silver in the women’s doubles in Hangzhou.
Discovered at a military camp in a remote part of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir and adopted by the Indian Army in her childhood, Devi also became the first armless woman to win a Para World Archery Championships medal last year.
Devi was born with phocomelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder which kept her limbs underdeveloped.
In the men’s individual recurve open ranking round, Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Harvinder Singh finished ninth with a score of 637.
He faces Tseng Lung-Hui of Chinese Taipei in the round of 32 on September 4.
In para-archery, athletes of two classes — wheelchair (W1, W2) and open — can compete (in same event) at the Paralympic Games.
For para-archers competing in wheelchairs, their arms must demonstrate some degree of loss of muscle strength, co-ordination, or range of movement.
Para-archers in open category can compete in a wheelchair, standing up or leaning on a stool. They have either extremely limited movement in their trunk and limbs with normal arm function or balance issues.
Devi competes in standing position while Oznur Girdi Cure of Turkey, who finished first in the ranking round, is of W2 category.
Competitions include a ranking round where the archers shoot 72 arrows (12 ends of six arrows each) over distances of 50m or 70m. Each archer has four minutes to shoot their six arrows.
After the ranking round, para-archers compete head-to-head in elimination rounds consisting of five ends, with athletes using three arrows per end.
Para-archery events include recurve and compound bows, as well as mixed team.
