Avani Lekhara wins gold in 10m air rifle standing SH1
Avani Lekhara made history by winning a gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at the Paris Paralympics, achieving back-to-back victories at the competition. Lekhara achieved an outstanding feat by surpassing her previous Paralympic record with a final score of 249.7, having finished at 249.6 in the previous Paralympics in Tokyo.
The last round was extremely dramatic, with tension increasing as Lekhara experienced a significant decline in the shoot-out for the gold medal. Her second to last attempt, a score of 9.9, briefly pushed her into second position behind Korea’s Yunri Lee, who looked ready to take first place.
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Nevertheless, Lekhara’s last shot of 10.5 added suspense to the situation, relying on Lee’s performance to determine the outcome.
In an unexpected turn of events, Lee struggled under the stress, producing a lackluster score of 6.8, enabling Lekhara to secure the gold with a considerable lead of 1.9, solidifying her reputation as one of India’s top Paralympians.
Mona Agarwal wins bronze medal
Mona Agarwal’s impressive performance in the competition added to India’s medal count, making their victory even more satisfying. Mona finished with a total of 228.7 points and was defeated by Yunri Lee, missing the opportunity to compete in an all-Indian shootout for the gold medal.
Mona had remained steady during the entire round and briefly held the lead with a score of 208.1 after 20 shots. Nevertheless, her campaign came to an end with her 22nd shot in the final, as she scored a 10.0, but the Indian still managed to win a bronze medal.
Avani Lekhara writes history books
Avani Lekhara made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. She made history at the Tokyo Paralympics as the first female shooter from her country to secure medals in shooting. Aside from winning a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, she also clinched a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions category.
