Paris, Aug 31 (UNI) India’s Rubina Francis secured a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Saturday, delivering a score of 211.1 in the final.
Sareh Javanmardi from the Islamic Republic of Iran clinched the gold with a remarkable score of 236.8, while Turkiye’s Aysel Ozgan took the silver with 231.1.
Rubina, who was in second place with a score of 193 after 20 shots, was assured a podium finish when the fourth shooter was eliminated. However, a 9.2 and 8.9 on her final two shots allowed Ozgan to surpass her in the standings.
At Tokyo 2020, Rubina also reached the final of this event but finished seventh with a score of 128.5. This time, at Paris 2024, she advanced to the final after finishing sixth in the qualification round with a score of 556.
Rubina entered the Paralympic year with strong momentum, having won a silver medal at the Para World Championships 2023 in Lima, Peru, and a bronze at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.
Her bronze marks India’s fifth medal at the ongoing Games and the fourth in shooting. Other medalists include Avani Lekhara, who defended her title in the women’s 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1, Mona Agarwal with a bronze in the same event, and Manish Narwal, who secured a silver in men’s 10m air pistol SH1.
The SH1 classification includes athletes with impairments affecting one arm and/or the legs, allowing them to shoot from either a standing or sitting position.
