The incredible Avani Lekhara became the first Indian to claim successive Paralympic gold medals with a record-shattering top finish in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) shooting competition and had a bronze-winning Mona Agarwal for company on the podium in a historic double for the country here on Friday.
Winner of the Tokyo Paralympics gold three years ago, Avani, 22, shot a superb 249.7 to erase her own Paralympic record of 249.6 set in the Japanese capital three years back.
The SH1 category is for athletes who have movement affected in their arms, lower trunk, legs or have no limbs.
The 37-year-old Mona, who dabbled in several sports, including shot-put, powerlifting and wheelchair volleyball, before settling on shooting, notched up 228.7 for the third-place finish.
This is the first time in India’s Paralympic history that two shooters have pulled off medals in a single event.
Women’s 100m (T35) bronze medallist Preethi Pal with China’s Xia Zhou (gold) and (centre) Qianqian Guo (silver) after the final at the Stade de France on Friday. Reuters
Avani, who hails from Jaipur, is an assistant conservator of forest with the Rajasthan government. “I am happy to win a medal for my country. I am thankful to my team, my coaches and my parents,” Avani said.
There was more glory from the shooting range as Manish Narwal, a Tokyo Games gold medallist shooter, claimed a silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) final. The 22-year-old Manish, winner of the 50m pistol gold in Tokyo three years ago, was in the fray for gold on Friday but a series of poor shots in the ‘9s’ saw him settle for silver with a score of 234.9.
First track medal
Preethi Pal won India’s first athletics medal in a Paralympics track event as she clinched a bronze in the women’s T35 100m competition with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.
Bronze medallist Mona Agarwal, women's 10m air rifle (SH1), and (right) silver medallist Manish Narwal, men's 10m air pistol (SH1), on Friday. PTI and Reuters
The 23-year-old Preethi, a farmer’s daughter from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, said: “This was my first Paralympics and I am still yet to believe that I have won a medal. I am feeling proud that I have won India’s first track medal in the Paralympics.”
T35 classification is meant for athletes who have coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis.
