| BIOGRAPHY |
Neeraj Chopra, an Indian javelin thrower, has already made history despite his youth by being the nation’s first and only track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal, and that too a gold.
After shooter Abhinav Bindra’s triumph in the 10m air rifle event at Beijing 2008, Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal at Tokyo 2020 became India’s second solo Olympic victory.
Neeraj Chopra entered the men’s javelin competition at the Tokyo Olympics as, at best, a dark horse in a competitive field that included gold medalist Keshorn Walcott from London 2012, reigning world champion Anderson Peters, and overwhelming favorite Johannes Vetter.
But when it came time for the main event, the Indian much improved. Neeraj Chopra won the qualifying round with a throw of 86.65 meters, surpassing Vetter’s 85.64 meters.
Neeraj Chopra was never seriously challenged by Vetter for the championship; the German battled and fell short of the final eight, while Chopra dominated the competition from start to end.
Neeraj Chopra’s first try, which measured 87.03 meters, put him in the lead, but his second attempt, measuring 87.58 meters, solidified his position and ultimately earned him the first-ever gold medal.
“The Tokyo Olympics were always my objective. Since every single attempt matters when it comes to succeeding at the top level, I put in the hard work and trusted the process.
Following his victory, Neeraj Chopra commented.
The victory marked the end of an amazing, albeit brief, journey that started with a 13-year-old overweight child taking up athletics in an effort to reduce weight and acquire confidence.
After observing the sport at the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat, Neeraj Chopra quickly started throwing the javelin. His natural skill for the sport was evident since he could throw more than 40 meters without any training.
Jaiveer Choudhary, an Indian javelin thrower, saw potential in Neeraj Chopra and took him under his wing. For the Haryana boy, with the right training, there was no going back.
At the youth level, Neeraj Chopra dominated the national stage and received several international honors. After winning the gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships, he gained notoriety.
Poland’s Bydgoszcz.
He became the first Indian track and field athlete to win a global championship at any level and hold a world record with his winning throw of 86.48 meters in Poland, which continues to be the under-20 javelin throw record.
The attempt would have also qualified Neeraj Chopra for his first Olympic Games, with the qualifying threshold for the men’s javelin throw event in Rio 2016 set at 83.00m, however it occurred a week after the qualification deadline had closed. Injury setbacks have previously prevented Neeraj Chopra from qualifying for Rio.
Nevertheless, Neeraj Chopra persisted in excelling on the global stage. Before winning gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, he was crowned the Asian champion in 2017.
Neeraj Chopra was forced to undergo surgery for his elbow injury, which kept him out for 16 months and caused him to miss the 2019 world championships. However, the Indian quickly recovered after arriving back home and qualified for Tokyo 2020 at a competition in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in January 2020.
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to take home a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships less than a year after his victory in Tokyo. Neeraj Chopra finished second to the defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada at Oregon 2022 with a best throw of 88.31 meters. Peters recorded a 90.54 meters to successfully retain his title.
After long jumper Anju Bobby George’s bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, this was India’s second medal at the worlds.
The Arjuna awardee has constantly improved his individual scores while also holding the men’s javelin throw national record for India since 2016. The current national record is 89.94m, set by Neeraj Chopra in 2022 at the Stockholm Diamond League.
After his exploits in Tokyo 2020, Neeraj Chopra, who is only in his early 20s, will be held to far higher standards. Neeraj Chopra works as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army when he isn’t competing.
