India's Preethi Pal clinched a bronze medal in the women's T35 100m event at the Paralympics on Friday, setting a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.
The 23-year-old's achievement marks India’s first medal in para-athletics at the Paris Paralympics.
In a competitive race, China's Zhou Xia took gold with a time of 13.58 seconds, while compatriot Guo Qianqian secured silver with 13.74 seconds.
The T35 classification caters to athletes with coordination impairments, including those with cerebral palsy.
In a remarkable day for Indian para-athletics, Avani Lekhara made history by winning successive Paralympic gold medals.
The 22-year-old shooter achieved a new Paralympic record with a score of 249.7 in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event, surpassing her previous record of 249.6 set at the Tokyo Games.
Mona Agarwal, 37, also made a significant impact by securing bronze with a score of 228.7.
Agarwal, who has previously competed in shot-put, powerlifting, and wheelchair volleyball, marked India’s first dual medal success in a shooting event at the Paralympics.
Lekhara’s triumph is particularly notable given her challenging build-up to the Games, which included recovery from gallbladder surgery.
Despite these setbacks, the Jaipur-native, who serves as an assistant conservator of forests in Rajasthan, demonstrated resilience and focus to achieve Paralympic success.
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