Avani Lekhara Wins Gold With Paralympic Record in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Event in Paris
Avani Lekhara claimed gold in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final at the Paris Paralympics 2024 with a record-breaking performance on Friday. This marks her second medal at the Paralympics, following her historic achievement in 2020 when she became the first Indian woman to win a gold at the Paralympics.
Competing against top talents such as World Record holder Iryna Shchetnik and her compatriot Mona Agarwal, Avani demonstrated why she is considered one of the world’s best para-shooters. She concluded Stage 1 with a total of 103.7 points across two rounds. In Stage 2, she increased her pace, putting herself back in contention along with Mona Agarwal, who was in third place.
As the competition intensified, Avani maintained her lead, with Mona also performing strongly at the top. The event boiled down to the final three competitors, including South Korea’s Yunri Lee. Mona secured the third spot, but the real excitement was yet to come. In the final round, it seemed Avani might settle for silver after shooting a 9.9, while Yunri surged ahead with a 10.7.
However, in a dramatic twist, Avani delivered a 10.5 shot, while Yunri faltered under pressure, scoring only a 6.8. This secured Avani her second gold medal at the Paralympics. She also set a new personal best with a score of 249.7, surpassing her previous Paralympic record by 0.1 points.
Avani’s exceptional performance made her the first Indian para-athlete to win a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics. Her composure under pressure and ability to excel on the big stage were evident, despite the high expectations following her gold medal in Tokyo.
India, having sent its largest contingent in the history of its participation at the Paralympics, hopes to improve its overall medal tally. Avani’s victory has added the first medal to India’s count, setting a promising tone for the rest of the games.
Other significant events of the day included Preeti Pal competing in the Women’s 100m T35 final and Manu set to participate in the Men’s Shotput F37 final. There are still several opportunities for Indian shooters and other para-athletes to qualify for final events and potentially increase India’s medal tally. Read More…….