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Avani Lekhara continued India's stunning start to the day at the Paralympics. The 19-year-old grabbed the gold medal for India and etched her name in the history books. The prodigy displayed world-class potential at her event as she equalled the world record set by Ukraine's Iryna Shchetnik. With this performance, Avani has become the youngest Indian to have won a gold medal in the Olympics or Paralympics. Here's more on what transpired during the event.
Avani gets a gold medal for India in rifle shooting
Avani Lekhara was oozing confidence right from the start of the competition. She was up against world champion shooters like Iryna. However, nothing on the day looked like stopping the youngster.
After coming off the qualification ranked 7th, the Indian knew that something better was needed to get to the podium in the final. She kept nailing rifles into the 10.5 range at a high frequency, which eased her to get to the medal.
After missing out on the gold several times at the World Cup events, the Indian was determined to get to the gold in Tokyo. Her arch-nemesis Iryna was not at her regular best and could only get to 227.5 points at the event.
Coming into the final few attempts, the Indian knew that she had done enough to grab a medal. However, the color was yet to be determined. She kept her calm from there on and delivered some amazing shots to bag the gold ahead of China's Zhang Cuiping.
Twitter reacts to Avani Lekhara's gold medal at the Paralympics
India woke to some stunning news as Yogesh Kathuniya bagged a silver medal in the discus throw event. News of Avani Lekhara's gold medal added to the jubilation as it was one of the most historic moments in Indian Para-sports history. Fans took to Twitter to congratulate the golden girl on a stellar Paralympic campaign. They also wished the prodigy the best for the mixed team events.
Also Read: India at Paralympics 2021: Day 5 results, medal tally and standings after August 29
