Avani becomes first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold

The incredible Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medal with her victory in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event here on Friday as compatriot Mona Agarwal claimed a bronze.

Winner of the Tokyo Paralympics gold three years back, Avani, 22, shot a superb 249.7 to erase her own record of 249.6 set in Japanese capital, while Mona, who took up shooting sport in 2022, notched up 228.7 for the bronze.

Avani, who is wheel-chair bound after a car mishap left her paralysed below the waist when she was 11-years-old, had became the first woman shooter from the country to win medals in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

SH1 category in shooting involves athletes who have movement affected in their arms, lower trunk, legs or have no limbs.

In the qualification, defending champion Avani shot 625.8 to be placed second behind Iryna Shchetnik, who broke the Paralympic qualification record with a score of 627.5.

Mona, the two-time World Cup gold medallist competing in her maiden Paralympics, shot 623.1 in the qualification and entered the final in fifth place.