Who is Deepthi Jeevanji? India’s para-athletic golden girl shines again in Nagoya

Deepthi Jeevanji was not satisfied with the heats record. The Indian runner returned to the track in Nagoya on Tuesday and was faster when it mattered as she clocked 56.36 seconds to win the 400m T20 gold at the 2026 Asian Para Games. The 23-year-old from Telangana also set a new Games record.

Jeevanji clocked 57.57 seconds in the heats, setting an Asian Para Games record, before bettering it by more than a second in the final. Japan’s Niina Kanno finished second in 58.92 seconds, while compatriot Akane Kato took bronze in 1:00.26. Jeevanji’s gold was India’s first on the day and fifth overall at the Games.

ASIAN PARA GAMES 2026, OCTOBER 20: UPDATE

The win adds to a growing list of achievements for the athlete who has risen rapidly through international para athletics. She won the 400m T20 title at the 2023 Asian Para Games, became world champion in 2024 and won bronze at the Paris Paralympics the same year.

HOW DID DEEPTHI JEEVANJI FIND VALUE?

Jeevanji’s journey began when she was 15 years old. Sports Authority of India coach N Ramesh spotted her at a state-level athletics meet in Telangana and started training her. She won bronze at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong and then collected two gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games.

Her breakthrough on the senior international stage came at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where she won gold in the 400m T20 with Games and Asian records. It was followed by gold at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in KobeJapan, a world record time of 55.07 seconds at the time.

Later that year, she won bronze in the 400m T20 at the Paris Paralympics, becoming the first Indian athlete with an intellectual disability to win a Paralympic medal. These performances placed her among India’s leading para-athletes and set the stage for her return to the Asian Para Games in Nagoya.

The heats offered an early hint of Jeevanji’s form, but she was even faster in the final. Her finish of 56.36 seconds put a clear gap between her and Kanno, who crossed the line more than two seconds later.

The T20 classification is intended for athletes with mental disabilities that can affect information processing, concentration and implementation of race plans. In the 400m, runners must balance speed with the effort required to maintain it for the entire lap. Jeevanji’s improvement from the heats to the final helped her secure the title and set a new Games record.

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