A lower back injury may have derailed his plans for a better showing at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, but Muhammad Diroy Noordin can take comfort in knowing that he kept to his personal mantra of always giving his best amid tough circumstances. Competing in the final of the men's shot put F40 event on 1 September, the 32-year-old concluded his third Paralympic Games with a ninth-placed finish, recording a distance of 8.68 metres while battling injury.
Portugal’s Monteiro Miguel, who holds the world record of 11.60m, won gold in a Paralympic record of 11.21m. Battulga Tsegmid of Mongolia was second (11.09m) while Iraqi Garrah Tnaiash, the Rio Paralympics champion who clinched silver in Tokyo, finished third with his distance of 11.03m.
The men’s shot put F40 final boasted a stacked line-up comprising current and former Paralympic and world championship medallists. In addition to Monteiro and Tnaiash, the field included 2023 world champion Yannis Fischer of Germany. Current world champion and defending Paralympic champion Denis Gnezdilov, who is competing as a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, was also in action at the Stade de France in Paris.
Diroy recorded 8.68m on his first throw, then failed his second and thereafter posted 8.66m to rank ninth and last after his first three throws. Athletes had to finish in the top eight after their first three throws to continue on their next three.
“I feel that without my lower back injury, I would have done better today. My aim for today was to give it my all and show what I’ve been training for and what I’ve been working on with my team,” said Diroy, the two-time Asean Para Games champion in this event. “I followed the training programme and my competition routine, and on what I needed to do inside the stadium.”
Diroy made his Paralympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games and set a national record of 9.92m at the next edition in Tokyo, where he was Team Singapore’s flagbearer. He broke that record in February this year at the Dubai 2024 World Para Athletics Grand Prix, where he achieved a distance of 10.02m.
Reflecting on his time in Paris, Diroy said: “The (stadium) is so beautiful. I’ve also experienced the village and the dining hall and everything has gone very well. It’s very fun to get to meet people from different countries. The only thing I won’t forget is that whatever happens, I’ll just give it my best so that when I come back to Singapore, I won’t have any regrets.”
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games take place in Paris, France from 28 August to 8 September 2024. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.