Avani, Mona qualify for 10m air rifle final at Paris Paralympics

PARIS: Ace Indian shooter Avani Lekhara came up with another sterling performance by qualifying for the Women's 10m air rifle final (SH1) in second place at the Paris Paralympics on Friday, raising hopes of a Tokyo Games encore where she had won the gold medal.

Compatriot Mona Agarwal, who too has been in sublime form in the last one year, also qualified for the eight-shooter final in fifth place, to give India a chance to bag two medals in the competition.

While defending champion Avani shot a 625.8 to be placed behind Iryna Shchetnik, who broke the Paralympic Qualification Record with a score of 627.5, Mona, the two-time World Cup gold medallist competing in her maiden Paralympics, shot 623.1.

Avani, who is wheel-chair bound after a car mishap left her paralysed below the waist when she was 11-years-old, had became the first woman shooter from the country to win medals in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

Avani capped off her gold-medal performance in 10m air rifle with a bronze in 50m rifle 3-positions.

SH1 category in shooting involves shooters who have movement affected in their arms, lower trunk, legs or have an absence of limbs.