Avani Lekhara made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Friday by successfully defending her title in the women’s 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1 event. With a final score of 249.7, Lekhara not only clinched the gold medal but also set a new Paralympic record, surpassing her own previous record of 249.6 from the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The 22-year-old Indian para shooter’s victory marked a historic milestone as she became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in the history of the Paralympic Games. Lekhara’s performance outshone Republic of Korea’s Lee Yunri, who scored 246.8 to take silver, and her compatriot Mona Agarwal, who secured bronze with a score of 228.7. This result also signifies India’s first medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and the country’s first double podium finish in the same event at the Games.
In her remarks, Lekhara expressed her elation: “It feels very nice to win another gold medal for my country and to defend my title, very nice. It is great motivation to have Mona Agarwal on the podium with me.”
Lekhara’s achievement aligns her with Indian javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia as the only Indians to win two gold medals at the Paralympics. This victory also brings India’s total gold medal count to ten.
During the preliminary rounds, Lekhara secured second place in qualifying with a score of 625.8, while Agarwal was positioned fifth with a total of 623.1. In the SH1 rifle shooting class, athletes are allowed to support the weight of the rifle themselves due to impairments such as amputation or paraplegia.
Looking ahead, Avani Lekhara is set to compete in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 and the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 events at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympics.
