Rohan Chowdhury in Paris
India’s journey toward a 25-medal target at the Paris Paralympics began spectacularly in Châteauroux, echoing the nation’s success in the recently concluded Olympics. This time, the medal tally looks even brighter, thanks to Avani Lekhara’s brilliant gold and Mona Agarwal’s surprising bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1.
Lekhara, who carried the immense pressure of defending her Tokyo Paralympics gold and maintaining her Paralympic record, once again proved her mettle on the grandest stage. With a remarkable score of 249.7, she not only clinched the gold but also set a new Paralympic record, reaffirming why the nation had pinned its hopes on her.
Agarwal’s journey, however, was the story of the unexpected. Few had predicted a podium finish for her at the start of the campaign, but the debutant defied all odds, delivering a performance that earned her a well-deserved bronze.
Both shooters had a tense start in the final, with a few shots landing in the 9s. However, they quickly found their rhythm and maintained momentum, staying neck and neck with Korean shooter Lee Yun-ri throughout the competition.
In a thrilling turn of events, Agarwal even led the table at one point, with Lekhara following closely behind – creating a dramatic scenario reminiscent of Kishore Jena’s challenge to Neeraj Chopra at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The final moments of the competition were filled with tension, as the athletes were separated by the slimmest of margins. The intense pressure was evident, particularly when Lee, who only needed a 9.7 in her final shot to secure gold, faltered with a 6.8, opening the door for Lekhara to claim the top spot.
In a twist of fate, it was on August 30th, 2021, that Lekhara won her first Paralympic gold in Tokyo, and on the same date in 2024, she repeated her triumph at the Paris Games. This incredible feat makes her the only Indian athlete to win back-to-back Paralympic or Olympic gold medals across any sport.
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