Girisha bags silver for India in High Jump at the Paralympic Games

“It is a dream come true. I was in New Delhi to meet the President when Sushil Kumar won the silver medal and his performance motivated me.”

Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda gave India its first medal at the Paralympic Games after bagging silver in the men’s high jump F42 event in London.

The Indian tri-colour went up for the first time in the London Paralympics when high jumper H N Girisha, born on the Republic Day in 1988, leapt to a silver medal in the men’s high jump at the Olympic Stadium.
Competing in the F42 class meant for athletes with an impairment that affects their arms or legs, the 24-year-old son of a daily wage labourer, cleared a career-best height of 1.74m to bag the silver medal to make his countrymen, the people in his hometown Hosanagaraand and his dad Nageraje Gowda proud.

Girisha, who quit his bank job six months back to focus fully on his training, and the other two medal winners – gold winner Iliesa Delana of Fiji and Lukasz Mamcarz of Poland – all cleared the same height but Girisha lost the gold on count back.

Girisha, who quit his bank job six months back to focus fully on his training, and the other two medal winners -GOLD winner Iliesa Delana of Fiji and Lukasz Mamcarz of Poland – all cleared the same height but Girisha lost the GOLD on count back.

Girisha who began with a clearance of 1.60m, sailed over 1.65 and 1.68 on his first attempts but stumbled when the bar was raised to 1.71m.

Though the Indian cleared it on his second attempt and went past 1.74m on his first attempt, Delana clinched theGOLD having cleared all the heights on his first try. Both Girisha and Delana tried to scale 1.77m but failed.

The Pole settled for the bronze as he c1.74 on his last attempt.

“It is a dream come true. I was in New Delhi to meet the President when Sushil Kumar won the silver medal and his performance motivated me.”