Avani Lekhara Secures Spot in Finals After Intense 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 Qualifier at Paralympics

NEW DELHI: Ace shooter Avani Lekhara booked her final berth in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event of the Paralympics. The 22-year-old, an epitome of inspiration with her incredible journey, was placed seventh after the qualification round to manage a spot among the top eight shooters who advance to the final round.

The qualification round has been a rollercoaster for Avani, who was facing stiff competition besides difficult conditions. She competes in the SH1 class-reserved for athletes with lower limb impairments-and demonstrated her mastery across three stages: knee, prone, and standing. Avani was shooting with much tenacity, especially after a poor beginning to the standing stage when she shot a 92 right at the beginning. Her never-say-die attitude saw her bounce back strongly with two consecutive scores of 96 and a telling 97 right at the end to seal her final berth.

Her final qualification score read 1159, a score that placed her in a comfortable seventh position. The fact that she seemed composed under pressure, more so in the final rounds, showed how seasoned and focused she was. She will be seen doing an exciting competition as she starts her quest to add a further medal to her great collection of the Paralympics.

However, the day wasn't so favorable for other fellow Indian shooter Mona Agarwal, also a finalist hopeful. Mona was promising in the earlier rounds of competitions, finishing the qualification round with 1147 and slotted 13th position. Despite giving it her all, she could not breach the top eight, and hence her Paralympic journey in this event came to a close.

So far, this has been a memorable Paralympics for Avani Lekhara, who recently won a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 event. Her performance won her not only the topmost podium but also made her the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Paralympics, a feat she achieved with a record score of 249.7 in the final.

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