Rubina Francis clinched India’s fifth medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games after claiming the bronze medal in the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1.
Rubina Francis: First Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal in pistol shooting
Last Saturday (31 August), 25-year-old Rubina Francis fought in the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 final, where she finished in the third position to secure the bronze medal. She scored 211.1. With this medal, she became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal in pistol shooting.
Iranian Sareh Javanmardi won the gold with a score of 236.8, while Aysel Ozgan of Turkiye claimed the silver medal by scoring 231.1.
Earlier, in the qualification round, Rubina finished sixth with a score of 556.
According to the Olympics, “In the SH1 shooting class, athletes have an impairment affecting one arm and/or the legs, for example, resulting from amputations or spinal cord injuries. They are allowed to shoot from a standing or sitting position (in a wheelchair or chair).”
Who is Rubina Francis?
Rubina Francis hails from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. She was born on 25 June 1999. She was born with a leg dysfunction. Rubina started the shooting sport in 2015 at the age of 15 years. Rubina made her debut for India in 2017 during the World Cup in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
In the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games, Rubina finished in seventh place. Earlier, she won the individual SH1 10m air pistol event at the 2021 World Cup event in Lima, Peru, to secure a quota spot for India for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games.
Rubina won a gold medal at the 2022 World Shooting Para Sport Championships in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
In the Para World Championships 2023 in Lima, Peru, Rubina won a silver medal in the P5 Women’s 10m Air Pistol Standard SH1 event.
During the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, Rubina won a silver medal in the P2 10m Air Pistol SH1 event.
