Avani Lekhara creates history, becomes First Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals

By: WE Staff | Friday, 3 September 2021

Shooter Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals on Friday in the ongoing games in Tokyo. She claimed the 50m Rifle 3 Position SH1 bronze to add to an unparalleled gold she had secured earlier.

The 19-year-old shooter, qualified second round for the event with a score of 1176, with 51 inner 10s. In the finals, she got a total score of 445.9. Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik, qualified with a poor third shot of 9.9 in the elimination. China’s Zhang Cuiping backed the gold medal with a record of 457.9 while German Natascha Hiltrop took the silver medal with a score of 457.1 in the final round.

“It was a tough final but I’m happy to have made it into bronze. I could have done better than this. It’s just what finals do to you,” said Lekhara.

Earlier, Lekhara had become the first Indian woman to win a gold in the Paralympic.

“It is an amazing experience to win two medals in my first Paralympic Games. These two are my pet events. I was really working hard for so many months. I gave my 100 per cent in the last shot,” said Lekhara.

In 2012, The Jaipur based shooter suffered from spinal cord injuries in a car accident.

“She was angry at her condition and hardly had a desire to talk to anyone. For a change, I used to take her to JDA shooting range in Jagatpura, Jaipur where she developed interest in shooting,” said her father Praveen Lekhara after the gold medal win in 10m air rifle competition.

Lekhara, a law student made her debut for India in the 2017 World Cup in Al Ain, UAE. She had given a world record of 249.6, a new Paralympic record.