Avani Lekhara clinches second Paralympic Gold, Mona Agarwal Wins Bronze in 10m Air Rifle

Avani Lekhara has made history once again by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. The 22-year-old shooter secured her second gold in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event at the Paralympics on Friday, setting a new record with a score of 249.7. This remarkable achievement surpasses her own previous record of 249.6, set during her gold-winning performance at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.

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Competing alongside Avani, fellow Indian shooter Mona Agarwal also made a mark by claiming the bronze medal with a score of 228.7. Mona, a two-time World Cup gold medallist, only began her journey in shooting in 2022 and was competing in her first Paralympic Games.

Avani’s journey to the podium is particularly inspiring. Paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident at the age of 11, she has defied the odds to become a trailblazer in Indian shooting sports. Her latest gold adds to her growing list of accolades, following her historic performance in Tokyo where she became the first Indian woman shooter to win a Paralympic medal.

In the qualification round, Avani secured second place with a score of 625.8, while defending champion Iryna Shchetnik of Ukraine topped the qualifiers with a Paralympic record of 627.5. Mona entered the final in fifth place with a score of 623.1, ultimately earning a well-deserved bronze.