India started its medal count with two medals in a single event. India’s shooting star Avani Lekhara successfully defended her gold medal with a win at the Paris Paralympics. The Rajasthani shooter had won the gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in the 10m air rifle SH1 event. On Friday, she successfully clinched the gold medal again in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. Along with Avani, India’s Mona Agarwal also clinched the bronze medal in the event.
Avani becomes the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Paralympics. She also broke the Paralympic record for the event.
Avani started on a poor note. In the first series of five shots, she scored 51.8 points and finished fourth, while Mona ended up in fifth position with 51.2 points. In the second round, Avani made a strong comeback, moving to second place with a score of 103.7 points, while Mona slipped to sixth with 102.7 points.
Avani stayed on top, Mona made a comeback
The third round changed the fate for both shooters. After the first two shots, Avani moved to the top position, while Mona was in third place. Avani stayed on top with a total of 166.3 points, while Mona was in third with 165.4 points.
Fourth Round: Both shooters excel
In the fourth round, both Mona and Avani performed exceptionally well. Avani remained on top with 187.0 points, while Mona jumped to second place with 186.8 points. This round saw Sweden’s Anna Benson exit, confirming a medal for India.
Fifth Round: A spectacular turnaround
The fifth round was nothing short of spectacular. Mona overtook Avani, with Avani scoring 10.5 and Mona shooting 10.7. Both tied for the top spot, and with Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik exiting, two medals were confirmed for India.
The decider: Avani takes the gold by miracle
In the sixth elimination round, Mona won the bronze medal with a total of 228.7 points. In the final round, Avani had a significant gap to cover. Unless there was a massive mistake from the Korean shooter, it seemed Avani would finish with silver. However, a miracle happened: Avani scored 10.5, while Lee scored 6.8, allowing Lekhara to secure the gold again.
