Avani Lekhara is the darling of the crowd at the Asaka Shooting Range, and she has been proving the venue as her best. After winning gold, she capped it with a bronze on Thursday, and became the first women athlete to ever win two medals in a Paralympic Games.
"It has been very good so far, and I have another event. Hopefully, I can give a gift to my teacher as it will be held on Teacher's Day, September 5," said Avani while talking to FPJ from Tokyo, soon after winning bronze, in her pet event 50m Rifle Prone 3 Positions SH1.
The 19-year-old trainee of Olympian and Arjuna awardee shooter Suma Shirur became the second from India to bag at least two medals in the same Paralympics edition.
Only once before has an Indian athlete won multiple medals at the Paralympics. Joginder Singh Bedi won a silver in men's shot put and a bronze each in the discus throw and javelin at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles.
"I did have a good start while trying to maintain the rhythm. I must have lost the track," said Avani, who became the country's third shooter and the 12th overall medal winner.
Always smiling and keep everyone around her in good spirits, Avani is a smiling assassin when it comes to opponents while going for the kill. "I am sure everyone smiles, and people say I do too more often. I thank my parents for that," said Avani.
Avani climbed from the sixth position at one stage to finish third in the finals with 445.9 points behind China's Cuiping Zhang of China (457.9, a Paralympic Record) and Germany's Natasha Hiltrop (457.1). Soon after her bronze medal finish, Avani was the cynosure of all in Tokyo as everyone at the shooting range greeted her for her feat. "It is an amazing experience to win two medals during my first Paralympic Games. These two are my pet events. I was really working hard for these two for so many months. I gave my 100% in the last shot," said Avani said.
"It feels very nice. I want to thank everyone for the loving support I have been receiving for the last few days. Unfortunately, I could not reply to each and every one of their lovely messages. I have been preparing for this medal today. Thank you very much," Avani shared when asked how she felt about her feat.
"I am very, very happy with her win today, especially with her qualification. She shot her personal best score, which is also a World Record. Her score of 1176 is phenomenal. I am extremely happy for Avani and finishing with a medal. You cannot ask for more. And to win her second medal at the Paralympics, that makes everything worth it," said her coach Suma Shirur.
In her third of four events at the Paralympics, Avani finished second in the qualification rounds on Friday morning with a Qualification World Record (QWR) score of 1176, including 51 inner 10s. Avani's 1176 bettered the earlier QWR of 1175 by Sweden's Anna Normann set in Osijek in July 2019. Incidentally, in Friday's qualification rounds, Anna topped the list with 1177, including 48 inner 10s.
Following her gold in 10m Air Rifle Standing on August 30, Avani finished 27th in the qualification rounds in her second event at the Games, the 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1, on September 1. Her fourth and final event at the Games is on September 5, the Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1.
