[Watch] Neeraj Chopra’s best throw in Olympics 2021

Modified Jul 26, 2022 13:41 IST

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra made headlines last August when he won India’s first gold medal in Athletics at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 with a throw of 87.58m, staving off competition from some of the best throwers across the globe.

Chopra bettered his throws from the qualifying round (86.65m) and his first attempt of 87.03m in the Tokyo Olympics javelin throw final to grab the top spot on the podium.

With his gold medal win, Chopra not only etched his name in the history books, he also provided a massive facelife for Indian sports and in particular, Indian athletics, which was slowly fading away into the shadows in the context of the Olympics.

Notably, Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in Tokyo Olympics 2021 was only the second gold won by an Indian in the global event, with Abhinav Bindra having clinched the top honours back in Beijing 2008.

Neeraj Chopra picked up a silver medal in the World Athletics Championships

In late July this year, Chopra was back in action at the World Athletics Championship, where he faced off against a familiar set of competitors, sans Vetter.

While Chopra made a sedate start, he came storming back to medal contention with an 88.13m throw on his 4th attempt, which was enough to win him a silver medal.

Chopra’s silver medal win at the World Athletics Championships was India’s second medal at the tournament, with the first one dating back to Paris 2003 where Anju Bobby George won a bronze medal for her efforts.

Neeraj Chopra’s injury will see him miss Commonwealth Games 2022

Ahead of the Commonwealth Games this year, the Indian squad has been dealt a major blow with Neeraj Chopra out of the CWG because of an injury.

Chopra has been advised one month’s rest by his medical team, and given the young star was one of India’s biggest medal hopes, it remains to be seen if the other javelin throw athletes can live up to the billing.

Also read: Why is Neeraj Chopra not participating in the Commonwealth Games 2022?