Athletics
The best moments from Neeraj Chopra's career
We take a look at India's golden boy, Neeraj Chopra, and some of the finest moments in his career so far.
Neeraj Chopra in action at the World Athletics Championships 2022 (Source: AP)
Just like in Tokyo, one throw was all it took Neeraj Chopra to qualify for the javelin finals at the ongoing World Athletics Championship 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. A massive throw of 88.39m was enough to breach the 83.5m qualification mark.
While Neeraj Chopra, amongst other Indian athletes, aims to win India its second-ever medal at the WAC, we take a look at the Tokyo gold medallist's career and its best moments so far in the 24-year-old's life.
Tokyo Olympics gold
History was written in Tokyo last year when a certain Neeraj Chopra became the poster boy of Indian sports overnight after winning India's first-ever track-and-field gold medal in the Olympics. Chopra's 87.58m was the magical number which was enough for him to clinch the gold medal.
Second Indian to win World Athletics Championship medal
With a silver at the World Athletics Championships 2022, Chopra became only the second Indian, after Anju Bobby George in 2003, to win a medal at the event. After a slow start, the Olympic champion came back stronger and threw a commendable 88.13m to confirm a second-placed finish.
2018 Asian Games Gold
Back in 2018, Chopra threw a massive distance of 88.06m to become the first Indian to win a gold in the javelin throw event. A string of consistent performances, which includes crossing the 85m mark with regularity, was enough to help the athlete achieve this feat at the Asiad.
Gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
Prior to his gold-winning throw at the 2018 Asian Games, Chopra conquered the Commonwealth Games which was held in Gold Coast, Australia, in the same year. There, he threw the javelin for an 86.47m distance. It is safe to say that 2018 was a fruitful year for the eventual Olympics champion.
National Record with Diamond League Podium
Neeraj Chopra has a knack for creating new national records, which were earlier set by the athlete himself! In the 2022 Diamond League, held in Stockholm, Chopra was just 0.06m shy of the elusive 90m mark after he threw a huge 89.94 which won him the silver medal.
The Indian, with this throw, bettered his Personal Best (PB) as well as the National Record (NR). The gold was clinched by Chopra's competitor, Anderson Peters who threw a comfortable 90.31m by his standards.
2016 IAAF World U20 Championship heroics
The tournament held in Poland was where it began for the now in-form Chopra. In the U20 Championship, a mere boy of 18 years old, Neeraj threw a distance of 86.48m. This not only made him the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win a World Championship at any age or level but also made him the holder of the U20 world record and the U20 Asian record in the javelin. To stress Chopra's brilliance, the records are still in his name, six years hence.
