“My approach is to focus on one throw at a time and give each attempt my complete attention. I try to keep the focus on my own preparation rather than on what people are expecting from me. Expectations are natural when you have performed well in the past, but they cannot be allowed to become a distraction.

"I know the work I have put in, and I know what I need to do when I step into the competition. For me, the biggest competition is always with myself, trying to improve my own performance."

Sumit Antil had these words to say, as quoted by Hindustan Times, when he headed to Nagoya with the aim of defending his crown. After all, he won gold in Hangzhou by breaking a then-world record and then bettering it over the course of the last few years.

He is chasing the dragon called 75m like an obsession at the moment, but there was no effect of it on his performance as he stepped up and secured gold in the combined F42-44/F61-64 javelin event with ease.

Antil secured the gold medal with a best throw of 72.46m, achieved on his second attempt. The 28-year-old, a two-time Paralympic champion and world record holder, dominated the men's javelin throw event in the F64 category.

Antil had claimed gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games with an effort of 73.29m. He subsequently raised the benchmark to 74.82m in May this year. Although he fell short of his personal best on Friday, his performance was enough to secure another continental title.

India completed a podium sweep, with Mahendra Gurjar taking silver after registering 59.03m, while Sandip Sanjay Sargar finished third with a throw of 64.48m.

Gurjar, who competes in the F42 classification, finished ahead of Sargar, an F44 athlete, after the combined-event standings were determined using RAZA points. The scoring system accounts for differences between classifications to establish the final rankings.

- Ends