Preethi Pal Wins Bronze in Paris Paralympics, Avani Lekhara Strikes Gold
India continues to shine at the ongoing Paris Paralympics as para sprinter Preethi Pal bagged the bronze medal in the Women’s T35 100m race on Friday. Preethi secured third place and won the bronze medal after clocking 14.21 seconds, which is also her personal best. China’s Xia Zhou and Qianqian Guo bagged first and second place, respectively. Zhou won the gold medal with her season-best time of 13.58 seconds. While Guo bagged the silver with her personal best time of 13.74 seconds.
In the World Para Athletics Championship, Preethi won bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024 and received her quota for the Paris Paralympics. Preeti’s dedication and hard work culminated in her selection for the World Para Athletics Championship, where she excelled, winning bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024.
Earlier in the day, Avani Lekhara struck gold in the women’s 10m air rifle final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics. Shooter Mona Agarwal bagged the bronze medal at the same event. India started off the Paris Paralympics on a marvellous note after bagging two medals in the women’s 10m air rifle event. From the start of the final, the two Indians were in the top three places, eying for the gold. However, it was Avani who secured the top spot in the women’s 10m air rifle final event.
As the Paris Paralympics continue, India’s athletes remain focused and determined, with more events lined up in the coming days. This year, India has sent its largest Paralympics contingent ever, comprising 84 athletes across 12 sports, a testament to the country’s expanding para-sports ecosystem. India’s participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics marks not only an increase in numbers but also in medal hopes, as the nation aims to surpass its previous achievements in Tokyo. Tokyo 2020 was India’s most successful Paralympic Games, with the country winning 19 medals, including five golds, eight silver and six bronzes.
Doubts Revealed
Preethi Pal -: Preethi Pal is an athlete from India who competes in the Paralympics, which is a major international sports event for athletes with disabilities.
Bronze -: Bronze is a type of medal given to the third-place winner in a competition. It is made of a metal that is a mix of copper and tin.
Paris Paralympics -: The Paris Paralympics is a big sports event held in Paris, France, where athletes with disabilities from all over the world compete in various sports.
T35 100m race -: The T35 100m race is a running event for athletes with coordination impairments. ‘T35’ is a classification for the type of disability, and ‘100m’ means the race is 100 meters long.
Xia Zhou and Qianqian Guo -: Xia Zhou and Qianqian Guo are athletes from China who won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the same race where Preethi Pal won bronze.
Avani Lekhara -: Avani Lekhara is an Indian shooter who won a gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the Paris Paralympics.
10m air rifle -: The 10m air rifle is a shooting event where athletes aim at a target from a distance of 10 meters using an air rifle.
Mona Agarwal -: Mona Agarwal is another Indian athlete who won a bronze medal in the same shooting event as Avani Lekhara.
Contingent -: A contingent is a group of people representing a country or organization. In this case, it refers to the group of 84 Indian athletes participating in the Paralympics.
Tokyo 2020 -: Tokyo 2020 refers to the previous Paralympic Games held in Tokyo, Japan, in the year 2021 (delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
