India kicked off its campaign at the World Para Athletics Championships positively as sprinter Deepthi Jeevanji qualified for the final of the women’s 400m T20 event with her best season performance. The 22-year-old from Telangana achieved a time of 58.35 seconds, securing the top position in the second heat of the opening round. In the first heat, Venezuela’s Leonela Coromoto Vera Colina finished first with a time of 57.10 seconds, marking her personal season best, while Turkey’s current world record holder Aysel Onder placed second with a time of 57.88 seconds. Onder holds the world record of 54.96 seconds set at last year’s Paris Paralympics. Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar took third place in Heat 1 with a time of 58.01 seconds.
In Heat 2, Diana Vivenes from the Dominican Republic and Australia’s Telaya Blacksmith finished second and third, clocking 59.41 seconds and 1:00.10 respectively. According to qualification rules, the top three from each heat advance to the medal round, along with the next two fastest athletes, which included Ecuador’s Mayerli Minda (58.98 seconds) and Portugal’s Carina Paim (59.61 seconds). The final for the women’s 400m T20 is set to take place at 7:23 pm IST later today.