Samitha Dulan wins Silver and sets World Record at Paris 2024 Paralympics

Samitha Dulan Kodithuwakku achieved a remarkable milestone at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by winning the silver medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw (F64) event.

Dulan’s throw of 67.03 meters not only secured him the silver but also set a new World Record in the F44 category, surpassing his previous record of 66.49 meters set earlier this year.

This achievement marks Dulan’s second Paralympic medal, following his bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, where he recorded a personal best of 65.61 meters.

Dulan, a Warrant Officer II with the Sri Lanka Army’s Corps of Military Police, also earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championship in Paris and a silver at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championship in Kobe, Japan, where he set his previous World Record.

India’s Sumit Antil successfully defended his gold medal in the F64 category with a throw of 70.59 meters, breaking his own Paralympic Games record of 68.55 meters set in Tokyo 2020. Australia’s Michal Buran took home the bronze medal with a throw of 64.89 meters.

Dulan’s journey as an athlete began after he joined the Sri Lanka Army in 2009. Hailing from Deniyaya, he has represented Sri Lanka in multiple international competitions, including the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia and the 2019 World Para Games in Dubai.