4 records broken by Avani Lekhara
Avani Lekhara recreated a feat from the past today after she clinched a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She delivered two medals back in the Tokyo Paralympics which was held in 2021 - a gold medal in the aforementioned category and a bronze.
Notably, she registered a score of 249.7 to accomplish this triumph. She had a difficult life as when she was 11, she got her lower body paralyzed after a car accident. But now, with so many accolades to her name, she has perhaps broken a few records.
Today, we will look at those records, which Avani Lekhara has re-written.
#1 First Indian woman to win 3 Paralympic medals
Avani Lekhara, with her triumph in the Paris Paralympics, has now become the first Indian woman to bag three medals at the Paralympic Games. Three years back in Tokyo, the Abhinav Bindra-inspired para shooter won a gold medal and a bronze. The gold came in the 10m air rifle SH1 event, while the bronze was delivered in the 50m rifle 3P SH1 event.
Moreover, she is also the second Indian to win three medals, with Joginder Singh Bedi achieving a similar milestone (Bedi won all three in various sports back in the 1984 Paralympic Games).
#2 First Indian woman to win 2 Paralympic golds
Another first for Lekhara, as she has now become the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Paralympic Games. In Tokyo, she registered a score of 249.6 to secure her gold medal. In Paris, she upped her score by 0.1 to win another gold and defend her title.
#3 Avani Lekhara broke her own record
As mentioned above, Lekhara had scored 249.6 in the Tokyo Paralympic Games. It was a new Paralympic record set by the now 22-year-old shooter. Now, in 2024, she has eventually broken her own record and set up another Paralympic record of 249.7.
#4 Second Indian to win 2 Paralympic golds
The first Indian to win two gold medals was para javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, who achieved the feats back in the 2004 Athens Games and the 2016 Rio Games. Now Avani Lekhara, with her two gold medals, has become the second Indian to attain such a feat.