Avani Lekhara made history on Thursday by winning a gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at the Paris Paralympics, marking her second consecutive top podium finish in this event. In an outstanding performance, Lekhara broke her own Paralympic record with a final score of 249.7, surpassing her previous score of 249.6 from the Tokyo Paralympics.
The final round was filled with drama, as Lekhara faced a setback during the shoot-out for the gold. Her penultimate shot of 9.9 dropped her to second place behind Korea’s Yunri Lee, who appeared to be on track to win the gold.
However, Lekhara’s steady final shot of 10.5 kept the competition’s outcome uncertain, hinging on Lee’s final performance. In a surprising turn, Lee faltered under the pressure, scoring a disappointing 6.8, which allowed Lekhara to secure the gold by a margin of 1.9 points, cementing her status as one of India’s greatest Paralympians.
India’s success at the event was further enhanced by Mona Agarwal’s impressive bronze medal win, adding to the country’s medal count. Mona finished with a final score of 228.7, narrowly missing a chance to compete for the gold after losing to Yunri Lee.
Mona was consistent throughout the round and even led after 20 shots with a score of 208.1. However, a 10.0 in her 22nd shot ended her run, and she successfully claimed the bronze.
Avani Lekhara has made Indian history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. At the Tokyo Paralympics, she became the first female shooter from India to win medals in shooting, taking home a gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 and a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions.
The SH1 category in shooting is for athletes who have movement impairments in their arms, lower trunk, and legs or have limb loss.
