New Delhi: Avani Lekhara shot her way into the record books at the Paris Paralympic Games on Friday by becoming the first Indian to clinch gold medals in back-to-back Games.
The 22-year-old shooter from Rajasthan retained her Tokyo Paralympics crown in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event by scoring 249.7.
She thus surpassed her own Paralympic record of 249.6 achieved in Tokyo three years ago. Coincidentally, her Tokyo gold came on the same day – August 30.
She became the first Indian woman to bag 2 Paralympic gold medals. India’s other double-gold Paralympian is Devendra Jhajharia in men’s javelin (2004 and 2016).
Lekhara, who was left paralysed below the waist at the age of 11 in a car accident, thus sealed her legacy as one of India’s greatest Paralympians.
GOLD 🥇 For INDIA 🇮🇳
Avani Lekhara wins gold medal in the Women’s 10m air Rifle SH1 event with a score of 249.7 🙌#Paris2024 #Cheer4Bharat #Paralympics2024 @mansukhmandviya @MIB_India @PIB_India @IndiaSports @ParalympicIndia @PCI_IN_Official @Media_SAI @AkashvaniAIR… pic.twitter.com/mcFf6gxQ1t
— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) August 30, 2024
The icing on the cake for India on Day 2 of the Paris Paralympics came in the form of a bronze medal for Mona Agarwal in the same event. Mona’s final score was 228.7 as Korean Yunri Lee nudged her out to deny all-Indian shootout for gold.
It was a dramatic and tense finale as Lekhara dropped to second spot in the shoot-out for gold with a penultimate shot of 9.9. The Indian finished with a steady 10.5, but the Korean girl looked to be in pole position to clinch gold.
Lee, however, faltered under pressure to garner a disappointing 6.8, which gave Lekhara victory by a margin of 1.9.
