India's impressive performance at the Paris Paralympics has been highlighted by Avani Lekhara's historic achievement. In the Women’s 10m air rifle final (SH1), Lekhara clinched her second gold medal, while Mona Agarwal earned a bronze medal on Friday.
Avani Lekhara, the reigning Paralympic champion who previously won gold at the Tokyo Games, demonstrated her extraordinary skills by scoring 625.8 in the qualification rounds. This score was just behind Iryna Shchetnik, who set a new Paralympic Qualification Record with 627.5.
Mona Agarwal, competing in her first Paralympics and a two-time World Cup gold medalist, finished with a score of 623.1. Despite being in contention for gold, Agarwal's final shot of 10 in the elimination round impacted her final placement.
Avani Lekhara's latest win is a testament to her remarkable journey, which began after a car accident at the age of 11 left her paralyzed from the waist down. She made history in 2021 by becoming the first female shooter from India to win medals in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics. The SH1 category is for athletes with movement limitations in their arms, lower trunks, legs, or those missing limbs.
Avani set a new Paralympic Record with a final score of 249.7, surpassing her previous record of 249.6 from the Tokyo Games. Positioned in second place until her final shot, Lekhara scored 10.5, clinching the gold as Yunri, the former leader, fell to a score of 6.8 in her last attempt.
Avani's ascent in shooting sports is a story of perseverance. Following a life-changing accident in 2012, she found her passion for shooting in 2015 with the support of her father, Praveen Lekhara. Influenced by Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's autobiography, Avani trained under coach Chandra Shekhar and later with former Olympian Suma Shirur. Her dedication paid off with her first international medal, a bronze, at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Bangkok in 2017.
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