Avani Lekhara made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by defending her gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1 event, becoming the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Games. She scored 249.7 in the final, setting a new Paralympic record and surpassing her own previous record of 249.6 from the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The 22-year-old shooter secured gold ahead of South Korea’s Lee Yunri, who took silver with a score of 246.8, and Indian teammate Mona Agarwal, who won bronze with a final score of 228.7. This marked India’s first medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and set a record as the country achieved a double podium finish in the same event for the first time.
Avani Lekhara expressed her delight at winning another gold and defending her title, noting the added motivation of having Mona Agarwal on the podium with her. She is only the second Indian, after javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, to win two gold medals at the Paralympics, bringing India’s total gold medal count to ten.
Earlier in the competition, Avani finished second in qualifying with a score of 625.8, while Mona placed fifth with 623.1. In the SH1 rifle shooting class, athletes must support the weight of the rifle themselves due to leg impairments. Avani will also compete in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 and the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 events.
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