India’s para-athletics scene kicked off strongly at the New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, with 22-year-old Deepthi Jeevanji from Telangana leading the charge in the Women’s 400m T20 event. She grabbed first place in Heat 2 of Round 1, clocking an impressive 58.35 seconds—her best time of the season so far.
In Heat 1, Venezuela’s Leonela Coromoto Vera Colina took the top spot with a sharp 57.10 seconds, also marking her season’s best. Close behind, Turkey’s Aysel Onder, the current world record holder in this category, finished second at 57.88 seconds. That’s still solid, though it falls short of her record 54.96 seconds set at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar rounded out the top three in that heat with 58.01 seconds.
Heat 2 saw Deepthi dominate, while Dominican Republic’s Diana Vivenes came second at 59.41 seconds and Australia’s Telaya Blacksmith took third in 1:00.10 seconds.
Under the qualification rules, the top three from each heat advance to the medal round, along with the next two fastest overall times. That brings in Ecuador’s Mayerli Minda (58.98 seconds) and Portugal’s Carina Paim (59.61 seconds) to join the finals mix.
Fans can catch the Women’s 400m T20 final starting around 7:23 p.m. IST, as excitement builds for more standout performances from these talented para-athletes at the championships.
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