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India's armless archer, Sheetal Devi, came agonizingly close to breaking the world record during the ranking round of the women's individual compound competition at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday, August 29. Devi, who scored an impressive 703 points, briefly held the world record before being surpassed by Turkey's Oznur Cure, who finished with 704 points in a nail-biting finish.

Competing in the ranking round, Devi shattered the previous world record of 698 points set by Phoebe Paterson and the Paralympic record of 694 points held by Jessica Stretton. Despite her extraordinary performance, Devi was overtaken in the final moments of the round when Cure delivered a flawless last shot, edging her out by a single point.

Throughout the ranking round, Devi demonstrated remarkable consistency, quickly establishing herself as a frontrunner alongside Brazil's Karla Gogel and Turkey's Oznur Cure. As the competition progressed, Devi steadily climbed the ranks, eventually surpassing both Gogel and Cure. However, in her final attempt, she shot a 9, bringing her total to 703 points—just shy of securing the top spot.

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Cure's final score of 704 points placed her at the top of the leaderboard, with Devi finishing a close second. The two archers were significantly ahead of the rest of the field, with Iran's Fatemah Hemmati and Great Britain's Jodie Grinham finishing third and fourth with 696 and 693 points, respectively. The previous world record holder, Phoebe Paterson, secured seventh place with 688 points, marking her best performance of the season.

Target 1: Oznur Cure – 704. ????????
Target 2: Sheetal Devi – 703. ????????
One decisive arrow to set the WORLD RECORD. ????#ArcheryInParis #ParaArchey pic.twitter.com/jMAJJjsfNT

— World Archery (@worldarchery) August 29, 2024

Sheetal Devi's path to the Paralympics exemplifies incredible resilience and determination. Born with phocomelia, a condition that left her without arms, Devi was raised in a small village in Jammu and Kashmir. Her athletic talent was recognized by Indian Army coaches during a 2021 youth event. Inspired by armless American archer Matt Stutzman's success at the 2012 London Paralympics, her coaches chose to train her using her legs and feet.

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Within a year, Devi made a significant impact internationally, winning two golds and a silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games. Her silver at the 2023 World Archery Para Championships in the Czech Republic secured a Paralympic spot for India, making her a top contender for gold in Paris.

Devi's achievements earned her the Arjuna Award in January 2024. Supported by coaches Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Vedwan, and fellow archer Romica Sharma, she continues to inspire others with her determination. Thus, this brilliant performance in the ranking round would give her immense hope to go for her dream medal in Paralympics 2024.