KUALA LUMPUR: Athletes of the Asean Para Games 2017 are full of grit and determination, but 18-year-old S. Thavanesvaran was the towering figure by 0.05 seconds on Tuesday.
He won the T44 400m gold with a time of 56.43s in his Games debut, by overcoming a slow start.
Thavanesvaran was fourth at the 200m, went to third and then second at the 100m. And in the last charge, he was five meters behind Myanmar 'blade runner' Kyaw Kyaw Win – but a burst of energy saw him win the title on photo-finish.
Kyaw Kyaw dove at the finish (56.48), but the day belonged to Segamat-boy Thavanesvaran.
The T44 race is for those with: "Single below knee amputation or an athlete who can walk with moderately-reduced function in one or both legs."
Thavanesvaran has two feet sizes, the left is size 3 while the right, size 6.
"I was unlucky, as when I was born, the Dr pulled my left leg too hard and this damaged nerves below my calf.
"I could not walk or run until I was in Standard One," said Thavanesvaran.
But when he got back on his feet after an operation to fix his nerves, he just wanted to walk and run.
"I started preparing for this moment four years ago and with strong family support, I won gold in my first competitive race.
"I have three more events to go and I believe I can win two more gold medals for the country," he said.
On Wednesday, he will run in the 100m, followed by the 4x100 and then the 200m on Friday.
"I am confident of winning the 100 and 200, as I am a sprinter. That's why even though I started slow, I caught up in the last 100m to win," said Thavanesvaran confidently.