Italian Paralympic athlete (born 1999)
Rigivan "Riggi" Ganeshamoorthy[1] (Italian pronunciation: [ˈriːdʒivaŋ ɡaneʃʃaˈmurti, ˈriddʒi -]; Tamil: ரிஜீவன் கணேசமூர்த்தி; born 8 June 1999) is an Italian para-athlete, competing in F52 throwing events. He represented Italy at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, winning a gold medal and setting a new world record in the discus throw.
Early life
Ganeshamoorthy was born in Rome to Sri Lankan Tamil parents. In 2017, he was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome, which was aggravated by a cervical injury resulting from a fall in 2019. As a result, after trying wheelchair basketball, in 2019 he began practicing Paralympic athletics, specializing in throwing.[2]
Career
In 2023, Ganeshamoorthy was the Italian Paralympic champion in the shot put F55 and the discus throw F54–F55. The following year he was again Italian champion in the shot put and discus throw, recording the European Paralympic record F52 in both disciplines; he was also Italian champion in the javelin throw, with the Paralympic world record F52 thanks to the measurement of 20.99 m.
In 2024, Ganeshamoorthy made his international debut at the Summer Paralympics, where he won the gold medal in the discus throw F52 with the new Paralympic world record brought to 27.06 m.[3][4]
References
