India’s Simran, the current world champion in the women’s 100m T12, finished fourth in the final at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday. Running with her guide Abhay Singh, she completed the race in 12.31 seconds.
The gold medal was claimed by Cuba’s Omara Durand Elias, who finished with an impressive time of 11.81 seconds, securing a comfortable victory. Ukraine’s Oksana Boturchuk, guided by Mykata Barabanov, took silver with a time of 12.17 seconds, while Germany’s Katrin Mueller, guided by Noel-Phillippe Fiener, secured bronze with a time of 12.26 seconds.
Simran, hailing from New Delhi, had qualified for the final earlier on Thursday morning by clocking a time of 12.33 seconds in the semifinals. The 24-year-old athlete finished second in semifinal 2, behind Katrin Mueller-Rottgardt of Germany. Despite being born prematurely with visual impairment, Simran showcased her strength by securing third place overall in the semifinals. Her performance in the heats on Wednesday was even more impressive, as she recorded a season’s best time of 12.17 seconds.
The T12 category, in which Simran competes, is designed for athletes who have visual impairment. This category requires athletes to run with a guide, who assists them with navigating the track and staying on course.
