There were smiles amongst the Indian fans in the crowd when Lee Yunri of South Korea shot a 6.8 in the final shot of the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 final at Paralympic Games Paris 2024.
The Korean’s poor final effort meant that India’s Avani Lekhara had clinched a gold medal in the event and in doing so had just become India’s first-ever para-athlete to defend her title at the Paralympics.
The 22-year-old shooter from Rajasthan, who was left paralysed from the waist down after an accident at the age of 12, had clinched her second gold medal at the Paralympics after winning gold in the same event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
A string of ‘firsts’
With the medal came a flood of trivia about the ‘firsts’ of this medal making it a field day for social media enthusiasts.
Avani’s medal meant that she was now the first-ever Indian woman para-athlete to win a medal at consecutive Paralympic editions.
Also, she became the first-ever Indian woman para-athlete to win three medals at the Paralympics along with being the only Indian para-athlete to defend a title at the Paralympics.
However, Avani is not new to the feeling of so many ‘firsts’.
When she won the historic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she became the first-ever Indian woman para-athlete to win a gold at the Paralympics, also becoming the first-ever Indian shooter to win a medal at the Paralympics.
Later at Tokyo, she won a bronze medal making her the first-ever Indian woman para-athlete to win two medals in the same edition of the Paralympics.
Apart from getting herself into the history books and the folklore of Indian sports, the Avani’s gold medal inspired women across all facets of society.
A modest yet supremely confident Avani acknowledged the same while interacting with the media after her gold medal-winning feat at Paris.
“I am happy that I was able to win the gold for my country. It broke the barriers for other women in the country, they can look up and see ‘Okay, women can also win gold in India’, and I am grateful that I was the first one to achieve that.”
The shoot stated that the medals have elevated her confidence levels.
“I think the barrier first broke for me when I won the medal. My self-confidence has gone up and I have become confident.”
The shooter from Rajasthan claims that she has a bad habit of remembering negative things but one positive thing that she remembers is the amount of appreciation she received after coming back from Tokyo.
A mural depicting Avani’s achievement after the Tokyo Paralympics. (Source: Special Arrangement)
“I have a bad habit of remembering negative things but the most positive thing I remember is how people walked up to me and said that they were inspired by the journey I had,” Avani had told The Bridge before leaving for Paris.
“While sports is about the results or winning, it feels like a real win when there is a positive impact of something done by you,” added Avani.
While she has already claimed her crown in Paris, she will have more chances to register more ‘firsts’ with two more events coming up for her at the ongoing Paralympics.
“I have already shut myself off from the euphoria of the medal and I am focused on the events that come next,” Avani concluded.