On Sunday, Neeraj Chopra accomplished a momentous feat, securing an historic victory at the World Athletics Championships held in Budapest. Competing in the final of the men\’s javelin throw event, Chopra emerged as the first Indian athlete to clinch a coveted gold medal. His exceptional performance unfolded during his second attempt in the final, propelling the javelin an astounding distance of 88.17 meters, which remained unmatched as the longest throw of the entire event. This achievement marked a significant advancement from the previous year\’s championship, where he had garnered a silver medal.
While the reigning Olympic gold medalist experienced a less-than-ideal start in the final, managing a distance of only 79 meters, Chopra\’s dissatisfaction with the throw prompted him to deliberately cross the line and trigger a foul, opting not to register the score. However, fortune favored Chopra in his second final attempt. Encouraged by an enthusiastic crowd, he launched into his run and initiated his celebration even before the javelin made its impact.
Chopra\’s counterpart from Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem, secured the second position, finishing just slightly behind the Indian champion with a throw of 87.82 meters. The bronze medal was claimed by Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic, achieving a distance of 86.67 meters.
In the company of other Indian javelin throwers aiming for victory, Kishore Jena and DP Manu showcased impressive performances, although narrowly missing out on podium placements. Both athletes secured spots among the top 8 positions, clinching fifth and sixth places, respectively. Jena achieved his personal best with a throw of 84.77 meters, while Manu\’s throw reached 84.14 meters.
Chopra, currently ranked as the foremost javelin thrower globally, had previously secured Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 but had garnered a silver medal at the Eugene World Championships the preceding year, where Anderson Peters had seized the gold. Anju Bobby George stood as the lone other Indian athlete to secure a medal at the World Championships, earning bronze in the women\’s long jump event in Paris in 2003.
During the qualification round for the men\’s javelin final at the 2023 championships, Neeraj Chopra effortlessly secured a place for Sunday\’s event with a single throw. His first attempt yielded a remarkable 88.77 meters, guaranteeing his automatic qualification for the final. Despite his initial foul in the first throw of the final, Chopra proceeded to achieve distances of 88.17 meters, 86.32 meters, 84.64 meters, 87.73 meters, and 83.98 meters.
In a historic accomplishment, Neeraj Chopra also became only the third individual in history to concurrently hold titles in both the Olympics and World Championships for javelin throwing. He joined the esteemed ranks of Jan Zelezny from the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway. Zelezny clinched gold at the Olympics in 1992, 1996, and 2000, in addition to World Championships titles in 1993, 1995, and 2001. Thorkildsen secured gold at the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships.
