Neeraj Chopra speared India to annals of history as he clinched his maiden gold medal at the World Athletics Championships, besting his previous best of silver metal. Neeraj got off to a shaky start in Budapest on Sunday, August 27, in the first round as he began with a foul throw. However, the javelin maestro and Olympic gold medallist roared back in the second round with a gigantic 88.17m throw, which remained unbeatable after the end of four rounds. Hence Neeraj became the first Indian athlete to win gold medal at World Championships. With this Neeraj Chopra emulated Abhinav Bindra's rare milestone of winning gold medals in both Olympics and World Athletic Championships. It was also the fourth longest javelin throw in the history of World Championships.
Last five gold medal-winning throws in men’s javelin at World Championships
2023 - Neeraj Chopra (Budapest) - 88.17
2022 - Anderson Peters (Grenada) - 90.54m
2019 - Anderson Peters (Grenada) - 86.89m
2017 - Johannes Vetter (Germany) - 89.89m
2015 - Julius Yego (Kenya) - 92.72m
2013 - Vitezslav Vesely (Czech Republic) - 87.17m
Notably, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem did come close to arch-nemesis Neeraj with a 87.82m throw in the third round but to only miss a shot at the gold. However he settled for silver medal while Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch grabbed bronze medal with a 86.67m throw.
Talking about the other Indian javelin throwers, Kishore Jena and DP Manu remained fourth and fifth in the standings with throws of 84.77m and 84.14m respectively.
Despite a patchy start with his initial attempt ending in a foul, Indian star Neeraj Chopra showcased his champion spirit. While DP Manu commenced with a throw of 78.44m and Kishore Jena logged an opening attempt of 75.70m, it was Finland's Oliver Helander who claimed the initial lead after the first series of throws.
World number 1, Vadlejch from the Czech Republic, surged ahead with his second throw reaching 84.18m, positioning himself at the pinnacle of the leaderboard. However, Chopra's resilience and prowess came to the fore when he launched the javelin to a staggering distance of 88.17m in his subsequent attempt, securing his dominant position.
Jena's final effort unfortunately resulted in a foul, but he managed an impressive personal best with a throw of 84.77m, placing him fifth overall. Close behind, DP Manu finished the contest in the sixth position, recording his best throw at 84.14m.
But the day was meant for Neeraj who became the first Indian athlete to clinch the World Championships gold. Prior to this monumental achievement, Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George had secured a bronze, and Chopra himself had garnered a silver in the previous year's championship.
Neeraj also etched his name alongside the legends Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway, becoming only the third javelin thrower in history to concurrently clinch both the Olympics and World Championships titles.
The legendary Zelezny had an illustrious career, securing Olympic gold thrice in 1992, 1996, and 2000 and bagging the World Championships title in 1993, 1995, and 2001. Meanwhile, Thorkildsen achieved his notable double with a 2008 Olympic gold and the 2009 World Championships title.
Chopra's remarkable achievement on Sunday is a crowning glory in an already illustrious career. He's collected every accolade his sport provides. His resume includes gold medals at the Asian Games (2018) and Commonwealth Games (2018). Furthermore, he's been a dominant force in the Diamond League, boasting four individual meeting titles split across 2022 and 2023 and clinching the Diamond League champion's trophy the previous year.
Reflecting on his early achievements, Chopra was crowned the junior world champion back in 2016 and clinched the top spot at the Asian Championships in 2017. The trajectory of his career showcases his unparalleled dedication and prowess in the world of javelin throw.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
ODI World Cup 2023's grand opening ceremony set to take place on this date in Ahmedabad
