Paris Paralympics 2024: Avani Lekhara wins Gold, Mona Agarwal Bronze in 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 (Shooting)

Avani Lekhara wins Gold, Mona Agarwal Bronze in 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Shooting. (Image: X)

Avani Lekhara clinched gold medal in a dramatic final to successfully defend her Tokyo title, while Mona Agarwal secured bronze medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. In a nail-biting finish, Avani was in second place, trailing to her Korean competitor Yunri Lee by 0.8 points with only one shot remaining. However, Yunri Lee scored a disappointing 6.8, while Avani fired a superb 10.5 to top the podium amidst high drama at the shooting range in Paris.

Mona Agarwal earned the bronze medal with a score of 228.7.

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August 30, 2024

The final round was a dramatic spectacle, with tension escalating as Lekhara faced a significant challenge in her bid for gold. Her penultimate shot of 9.9 temporarily relegated her to second place behind Korea’s Yunri Lee, who seemed on course to take the top position.

However, Lekhara’s final shot of 10.5 put the outcome in the balance, hinging on Lee’s performance. In a surprising turn, Lee faltered under the pressure with a disappointing 6.8, allowing Lekhara to seize the gold by a narrow margin and solidify her place as one of India’s greatest Paralympians.

India’s success was further enhanced by Mona Agarwal’s impressive achievement of winning the bronze medal, contributing to the country’s medal tally. Mona finished with a score of 228.7, narrowly missing out on an opportunity for an all-Indian shootout for gold against Yunri Lee.

Lekhara had previously set a Paralympic record at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics with a score of 249.6 in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final. On Friday, she improved on her own personal best with a score of 249.7 in Paris, establishing a new Paralympic record.

Avani has matched Devendra Jhajharia’s all-time Paralympic record for India. Jhajharia won two golds and a silver, while Avani now has three Paralympic medals to her name.

Notably, Avani also won gold in the SH1 category at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics and secured a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 category.