The furthest he'd ever hurled the discus was a world record 48.34m. All he needed for gold was 46.87m.
Yogesh Kathuniya, silver medallist from the Tokyo Paralympics and two-time silver medallist at the World Championships only knew one colour of the medal. He'd always finished second to Claudiney Batista of Brazil, and to his frustration, it was silver once more at the 2024 Paris Paralympics - Yogesh throwing a season-best of 42.22m to win his second Paralympic medal in the men's discus throw F56 final.
PARALYMPICS 2024 KEY DATES | EVERY MEDAL WON BY INDIA AT THE PARALYMPICS | PARALYMPIC CLASSIFICATIONS EXPLAINED
Yogesh had made it clear how much he wanted gold ahead of the Paralympics, saying "I am desperate to win gold. It has become a personal fight for me now. I have been collecting silver medals. I am fed up with winning silver medals and coming second all the time. Now I don't want another silver."
Even the Para Asian Games last year saw Yogesh throw the furthest in the field, but after his effort was factorized for multiple categories, he finished second again to compatriot Neeraj Yadav. Silver, silver, silver, silver was all he knew in international competitions.
For the Indian sports fan, an athletics silver medal is worthy of celebration, but there was barely a smile on Yogesh's face when his silver in Paris was confirmed. The pain of second place was all too clearly written on his face - he managed a smile for the cameras and with the Indian flag, but it disappeared soon after, now having to deal with another second-place finish to Batista.
It was always going to be a throw-off between the Brazilian and the Indian - the other competitors were barely in the frame. Batista came ready to play, hurling the discus long even in his warm-up throws. His first, a throw of 44.74m would have been enough to win gold, but the Brazilian then went on to break his own Paralympic record in the next throw, a massive 46.45m. All of the Brazilian's six throws would have won gold, and when he set a new Paralympic record of 46.86m in his fifth throw, he had firmly thrown down the gauntlet to his Indian competitor.
Yet, Yogesh seemed calmness personified as he took his seated position. He'd once thrown the discus 48.34m - it would be enough to finally win gold - but that was with the old seating rules that allowed for a bit of hip flexion off the seat. He'd struggled with the new rules (that allowed no gap off the seat) at the Worlds earlier this year, throwing 41.80m to win...silver.
Yogesh was hitting great marks in his warm-up, all buoyant, as he believed that elusive gold medal was finally within his grasp. A smile on his face, that was replaced with the ultra-focus of an athlete, he wound up his upper torso, leant-back, twisting his body and letting the discus fly. It flew 42.22m.
At that point, it seemed like Yogesh was building up to something, that he would make up the 4.64m gap to first place. Another confident preparation, that same wind-up and yell and Yogesh left fly again. The discus flew 41.50m.
No matter, there were still four throws to go, but the flicker of doubt had entered Yogesh's mind and briefly appeared on his face in the form of a grimace. Alright, down to business with the third throw... 41.55m
The frustration was writ large upon Yogesh's face as reality began to set in. Body, mind and spirit were willing, but the discus was not. The fourth and fifth throws were again not an improvement, and as he prepared for his final throw, the pain of silver was all too clear. His shoulders were slumped, disappointment in his face and that of his coach in the stands all too clear.
Still, he summoned up the strength for his final throw - this, after all, was easy compared to the ordeal of his childhood, where he developed a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome at the age of nine causing quadriparesis (a condition in which the affected person has muscle weakness in all four limbs).
His mother was his saviour then, learning physiotherapy and within three years, Yogesh would regain enough muscle strength to walk again. 15 years later, in Paris, Yogesh looked up at the sky, perhaps pleading for his mother's help again. He only had one shot left to win gold.
He wound up and let fly with an agonized yell - the exclamation morphing into a painful 'Jaaaa (Gooooo)' as he willed the discus on and on. It wouldn't listen.
39.68m. Silver, once more. That all-too-familiar pain, once more. Yet, when the immediate pain passes, Yogesh knows there is succour in the faces back home, saying "Every time I come back with a silver medal, it leaves me a bit disappointed but when I return home and see the happiness in the faces of fans, my family, I feel happy."
After all, there are only eight other Indians with multiple medals at the Paralympics. While Yogesh will have to deal with the pain of silver once again, he will have the pride of knowing he did his best - and that perhaps is all the gold he needs.