Neeraj Chopra, a winner of the Tokyo Olympics, took silver in the men’s javelin event at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon with the best throw of 88.13 meters. He succeeded Anju Bobby George as the only other Indian to take home a medal from the world meet.
Neeraj Chopra has done it once more! The Indian star has become just the second Indian to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, one year after being the first to win a gold medal in track and field at the Olympics. On Sunday, April 24, Neeraj took home the silver medal in the men’s javelin event at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.
Neeraj Chopra, an Indian 24-year-old who competed in the final, overcame a poor start by displaying steely nerves as he held off fierce competition.
WATCH: NEERAJ’S SILVER-WINNING THROW
In the men’s javelin final, Neeraj Chopra took home the silver medal with a best throw of 88.13 metres. Anderson Peters, the defending champion, kept his championship with a remarkable best throw of 90.14 metres. Peters really made two throws farther than 90 metres in order to establish a lead and apply early pressure to the rest of the field.
Anderson Peters became the second guy to win back the men’s javelin championship at the World Athletics Championships. In the final, he made throws longer than 90 metres three times, finishing with a best throw of 90.54 metres. Jakub Vadlejch, a silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, won bronze with a best throw of 88.09 metres.
The millions of people who awoke early on Sunday to see their golden boy compete were already on edge when Neeraj started with a foul, adding to their anxiety. Neeraj’s first legal throw was only 82.39 metres; he later increased it to 86.37 metres, but that was not enough to place him on the podium because Jakub Vadlejch, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, had thrown 88.09 metres, and Germany’s national champion Julian Weber, who placed third, both had thrown 86.86 metres.
Neeraj maintained his composure and believed in his ability to make the big throw, though. After throwing the spear into the dusk sky in Oregon on his fourth attempt, he let out his signature yell.
When he saw the reading of 88.13m, Neeraj knew he had performed well enough to be placed on the podium. The Olympic champion faced the camera and acknowledged the applause from the crowd.
