Paralympics 2024: Avani Lekhara wins gold, Mona Agarwal bronze in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1

Avani Lekhara and debutant Mona Agarwal kicked off India’s medal tally at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Friday, winning gold and bronze respectively in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

Avani, 22, topped the final with a score of 249.7, becoming the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Paralympic Games.

She replicated her gold-winning performance from Tokyo three years ago, setting a new Paralympic record, which she originally set in Tokyo.

Competing in her first Paralympic Games, Mona secured the bronze with a score of 228.7 points.

“Many congratulations to all of us! Back-to-back golds in consecutive Paralympics for India’s Golden Girl, Avani Lekhara. Respect for her incredible achievement. Two Indian para shooters, including Avani, qualified for the finals in the R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. Avani has been training at Lakshya Shooting Club since 2018, and Mona Agarwal also did a fantastic job, winning the bronze. What a team,” Avani’s coach Suma Shirur said after the event.