Tokyo Paralympics: On Friday, Avani Lekhara won bronze in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 event, giving her an unprecedented second medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.
She has now won two Paralympic medals, making her the first Indian woman to do so.
The 19-year-old had previously won gold in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 competition.
Avani placed second in the event’s qualification round and got off to a sluggish start in the final, scoring 9.8 and 9.7 in the first two strokes.
She gained momentum, however, with a solid finish in the final three shots of the first series (10.1, 10.9 and 10.3).
For the majority of the first and second sets, her ranking fluctuated between fifth and sixth, but a poor set of shots from Sweden’s Anna Norman and Ukraine’s Iryna Schchetnik boosted her place.
Avani had a few stumbles in the elimination round, with two consecutive 9.9s in the final series, but she bounced back with a powerful 10.5 in the final shot to keep her medal hopes alive.
In the bronze medal shoot-off, Avani maintained her cool and shot a 10.5 once more.
Schchetnik, on the other hand, fumbled and finished with a 9.9, losing out on a podium finish.
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Avani finished with a 445.9 score.
India has already won 12 medals in the Tokyo Paralympics, including Avani’s bronze.
India is presently ranked 36th in the medal standings.
Avani has already made history as the first Indian shooter to win a Paralympic gold medal.
She won the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event with a total score of 249.6; equaling the world record.
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