Teen Archer Goes Mega-Viral After Paralympics Bullseye
Indian archer Sheetal Devi has made a big splash in her Paralympic debut, going super viral for a bullseye in her first competition last week and then securing bronze in Monday’s mixed team compound final.
Devi is the only woman without arms competing in archery at the Paris Paralympics.
The 17-year-old went viral for firing a bullseye during the 1/8 elimination round of the women’s individual compound open competition. A clip of the moment posted over the weekend was viewed more than 60 million times before it was taken down for copyright reasons.
“Oh, what a start for Devi,” the announcer says after her shot, as the crowd erupts, in another post of the clip.
Commenters praised her as a “great talent,” “beyond impressive” and “a force to be reckoned with.”
She ended up losing the round by one point to Chile’s Mariana Zuniga and did not advance to the quarterfinals.
On Monday, she got her podium finish with teammate Rakesh Kumar in the mixed event, earning them “heartiest congratulations” from Indian President Droupadi Murmu.
“Their joint success is an inspiring example of commitment and coordinated efforts. Both of them are inspiring sportspersons from whom our youth can learn a lot,” the president posted on social media.
“Thank you, India!” Devi wrote on Instagram after the win. “Overwhelmed with gratitude for the unconditional love and support from all of you!”
Devi was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder leading to underdeveloped limbs which resulted in her arms not fully forming, according to Olympics.com.
At 17, she had already made a name for herself on the world stage before heading to Paris. She won silver at the 2023 World Archery Para Championships, becoming the first female armless archer ever to