New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- When Denis Gnezdilov stepped into the shotput circle at the New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, he carried with him more than just the weight of a metal sphere. He carried the sting of the Paris Paralympics, the frustration of missed chances, and the determination to prove that failure could be the start of something greater.

Just a year ago, in the Paris Paralympics, the Rustavi-born thrower had endured one of the lowest points of his career when he missed the podium. For a Paralympic gold medallist from Tokyo 2020, the disappointment cut deep. But Gnezdilov is not the kind of athlete who lets setbacks define him. Instead, he treated Paris as a classroom.

"I feel free. In Paris, I made mistakes. I ...