Indian shooters Avani Lekhara and Sidhartha Babu fell short of qualifying for the finals in the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) event at the Paralympic Games on Sunday.
Avani, who recently made history by winning two Paralympic gold medals, finished 11th in the event, while Sidhartha placed 28th.
Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna, competing in the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH2) qualification, ended in 26th place with a total score of 630.2.
In the Paralympics mixed events, male and female athletes compete together. Despite a strong start, Avani, who had earlier secured a gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, couldn't maintain the same form in this less familiar event, concluding with a score of 632.8. Sidhartha managed a total of 628.3 across six series.
Avani’s scores in the six series were 105.7, 106.0, 104.1, 106.0, 104.8, and 106.2, while Sidhartha posted scores of 104.6, 103.8, 105.7, 104.9, 103.6, and 105.7.
On Friday, Avani had defended her title in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event with a world record score, further cementing her legacy as the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals.
In the SH1 category, athletes can hold their guns without assistance and shoot from either a standing or sitting position, while SH2 athletes, who cannot hold their rifles independently, use a stand to aim and shoot, sometimes with assistance to reload.
Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna, aged 44, recorded scores of 105.2, 105.7, 105.4, 104.3, 105.6, and 104.0 across his six series. Eleven years ago, a serious accident left Sriharsha with limited control over his limbs. Born in 1980 in Dharwad, he now resides in Hubballi with his family. The accident occurred when his bike overturned on a gravel road, causing a severe spinal cord injury that left him unable to fully control his hands and legs despite undergoing surgery.
Only the top eight shooters from the qualification round progress to the finals, and unfortunately, none of the Indian shooters made the cut in this event.