Avani Lekhara becomes the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo
Avani Lekhara, an Indian paralympic shooter, made history at the Tokyo Paralympics on Monday (August 30), becoming the country’s first woman to win a paralympic gold medal. Avani won the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 title, defeating Zhang Cuiping of China (silver) and Iryna Shchetnik of Ukraine (bronze).
With her gold medal performance in Tokyo, Avani also equaled the current world record in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 category. The 19-year-old finished with a total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.
The first woman from #IND to win a #Paralympics #Gold 🔥🔥@AvaniLekhara equals the current WR to win the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final! 💪💪#Tokyo2020 #ShootingParaSport
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) August 30, 2021
She is India’s fourth Paralympic gold medalist, following swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016), and high jumper Thangavelu Mariyappan (2016).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a “great moment for Indian sports.” “A fantastic performance by @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on your hard-earned and well-deserved Gold medal, which was made possible by your hard work and passion for shooting. This is a genuinely historic occasion in Indian sports. Best of luck in your future endeavours, “Modi sent out a tweet.
Shooters in the SH1 Rifle category can handle a gun with their arms. The athletes have limb impairments, such as amputations or paraplegia. Some athletes will compete while seated, while others may participate while standing.
Phenomenal performance @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on winning a hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting. This is truly a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes for your future endeavours.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 30, 2021
Cuiping Zhangh of China won the silver medal with a score of 248.9 at the Asaka Shooting Range, just defeating Lekhara. Iryna Shchetnik of Ukraine, the world number one and reigning world champion, claimed bronze with a score of 227.5.
Avani has won her first big international medal. She finished fourth in the most recent global championships in 2019. Avani, who was ranked fifth in the world when she competed in her first Paralympics, regularly shot 10s in both competition phases.
She was on track to break the world record, but two 9.9s near the end cost her the title.
Avani had finished eighth in the qualification round with a total score of 621.7. Avani first started shooting and archery after being encouraged to do so by her father.
