Neeraj Chopra achieved a remarkable milestone on Sunday, securing a historic victory in the World Athletics Championships. During the men’s javelin throw final event held in Budapest, he became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal.
Neeraj Chopra Creates History in World Athletics Championships with Winning Gold in Javelin Throw
Neeraj’s outstanding performance came in his second attempt, propelling the javelin to an impressive distance of 88.17 meters, which remained unbeaten throughout the event. This achievement marked a significant advancement from his performance in the 2022 edition of the Championships, where he had secured a silver medal.
Although Neeraj didn’t have a favorable start in the final, managing a throw of just 79 meters and visibly dissatisfied with it, he decided not to count the attempt by stepping over the line to trigger a foul. However, he saved his best for the second try in the final. Fueled by tremendous crowd support, Neeraj displayed his characteristic exuberance by celebrating even before the javelin landed.
In a closely contested competition, Neeraj’s counterpart from Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem, secured the second position with a throw of 87.82 meters, trailing just behind Neeraj. The bronze medal was claimed by Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic, who achieved a distance of 86.67 meters.
Among the other Indian javelin throwers in contention, Kishore Jena and DP Manu also delivered commendable performances, even though they couldn’t secure podium finishes. Both athletes qualified within the top 8 positions and achieved fifth and sixth places, respectively. Jena recorded his personal best with a throw of 84.77 meters, while Manu threw 84.14 meters.
Neeraj Chopra, currently ranked number one in the world for javelin throw, had previously secured Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020. However, in the previous year’s World Championships in Eugene, he had clinched the silver medal, as the gold went to Anderson Peters. The only other Indian athlete to have won a medal in the World Championships is Anju Bobby George, who earned bronze in the women’s long jump event in Paris back in 2003.
During the qualification round for the men’s javelin final at the 2023 event, Neeraj demonstrated his prowess by needing only one throw to secure his spot for Sunday’s final. With a remarkable distance of 88.77 meters in his initial attempt, the Olympic champion easily qualified for the final round. Neeraj’s throws during the final event ranged from 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m, and 83.98m, following his initial foul in the final on Sunday.
This remarkable achievement by Neeraj Chopra solidifies his status as an Indian superstar in javelin throw. He also joins an elite group of athletes who have simultaneously held the titles of both Olympics and World Championships, a feat achieved only by the legendary Jan Zelezny from the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway. Zelezny secured gold in the Olympics in 1992, 1996, and 2000, along with World Championships titles in 1993, 1995, and 2001. Thorkildsen claimed the titles in the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships.