INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Neeraj Chopra (Pic-Twitter)4 min read Last Updated Aug 09 2024 | 2:31 AM IST
Neeraj Chopra narrowly missed retaining his gold medal in
the men's javelin throw at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, securing silver with a best throw of 89.45 metres.
Pakistan's Arshad
Nadeem claimed the gold with a throw of 92.97 metres, breaking the previous Olympic record set by Denmark's Andreas Thorkildsen in Beijing
Nadeem's performance was remarkable, with a final throw of 91.79 metres, demonstrating his dominance in the event
attempt, but four consecutive foul throws hindered his chances of clinching the gold
Despite a strong performance in the qualification round, where he recorded a throw of 89.34 metres, Chopra could not surpass his season's
best in the final.
Chopra made history as the second male athlete from India, post-independence, to win two Olympic medals in an
individual event.
Wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008 and 2012) and shuttler PV Sindhu (2016 and 2021) were the other two athletes with
back-to-back Olympic medal.
How the competetion panned out?
Grenada's Anderson Peters secured the bronze medal with a throw of 88.54
metres, narrowly edging out the Czech Republic's Yakub Vadlejch, who finished fourth with a throw of 88.50 metres
Kenya's Julius Yego followed in fifth place with a season-best throw of 87.72 metres.
The competitive field witnessed as many as seven
athletes surpass the 86-metre mark, with three achieving season-best performances and one setting a new Olympic record
Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott also celebrated his season's best with a throw of 86.16 metres, finishing seventh in the 12-man
final.
Before this event, Neeraj Chopra had never lost to Arshad Nadeem in their previous ten meetings
This throw, delivered on his second attempt, was like a bolt from the blue, leaving the competition in awe.
This victory also marked a
significant moment for the 27-year-old Nadeem, as he avenged his loss to Chopra at the 2023 Budapest World Championships
It was not the first time Nadeem had crossed the 90-metre mark; he had previously achieved a throw of 90.18 metres to win gold at the 2022
Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Nadeem is only the second Asian athlete to have thrown beyond 90 metres, joining Chao-Tsun Cheng of
has been nothing short of meteoric
His journey began with a raw talent for athletics, which was nurtured by supportive coaches and unwavering determination
came in 2016 when he clinched a gold medal at the IAAF World U20 Championships, announcing his arrival on the global stage
However, the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 catapulted Neeraj into the stratosphere of sporting greatness
With a final throw of 87.58 meters, he secured India's first-ever Olympic gold in athletics and became a national hero
everything javelin throw has to offer by winning medals in the Summer Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Diamond League, Asian
Games, Asian Championships, South Asian Games and World Championships
Notably, he has also won a gold medal in the World Junior Championships and a silver medal in the Asian Junior Championships.
Neeraj
Silver2023 Budapest: GoldAsian Games2018 Jakarta: Gold2022 Hangzhou: GoldDiamonds LeagueAsian ChampionshipsSouth Asian Games2016
Guwahati/Shillong: GoldWorld Junior ChampionshipsAsian Junior Championship2016 HoChi Minh City: SilverFirst Published: Aug 09 2024 | 1:39
