Avani Lekhara fails to defend her Tokyo Paralympics bronze, finishing fifth in the R8 - Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Tuesday, September 3. (Full Paralympics Coverage|More Sports News)
The Indian shooter briefly held the lead in the kneeling stage of the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 final. However, her performance in the prone stage, which is not her strength due to positioning issues, caused her to slip to sixth place.
Despite a strong showing in the standing stage, her final score was impacted by an unexpected 8.3.
The SH1 class is designed for athletes with lower-limb impairments, allowing them to hold their rifles without difficulty and compete from a standing or sitting position. Avani qualified for the final earlier in the day with a total score of 1159.
Earlier, on Friday, August 30, Avani Lekhara made history by winning India's first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, retaining her Tokyo title in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.
