New Delhi: Olympic gold medalist and world champion Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will turn 26 on Sunday. Over the past five years, this young boy from Haryana, with a strong arm and a hunger to succeed, has touched the greatest peaks in athletics. Nearing the end of his 20s, he is already possibly the greatest Indian athlete of all time.
After winning gold at the World Junior Championships in 2016 and silver at the Asian Championships, Neeraj graduated to the senior level and celebrated it in style with a gold medal at the Asian Championships in 2017.
The athlete also had a great 2018 as she impressed at continental and Commonwealth level. He won the gold medal in javelin throw at the Asian Games in Jakarta.
With a throw of 88.06 metres, he made his mark at the continental level and showed signs of a good future. He also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018 with a throw of 86.47 metres. But the year 2021 was the year when everything changed for Neeraj and he suddenly became the ‘Golden Boy’ of India. He captured the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with a best throw of 87.58 metres.
With this he became the first Indian to win gold in athletics. This victory made him a sensation in the country. The love and support from fans, cricketers, politicians and Bollywood celebrities made his victory even more spectacular. Suddenly, Neeraj became the talk of the town across India, he was featured in social media campaigns, advertisements, shows etc.
People wondered what he would do next. Over the next few months, Neeraj showed that even though he has achieved the top prize in athletics, he still has a lot to prove and win. 2022 was an amazing year for Neeraj, although he missed the Commonwealth Games 2022 due to injury.
In June, he set a new national record and finished with a silver medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland with a throw of 89.30 metres, bettering his previous national record of 88.07 meters which he had set in Patiala in March last year .
In June, she delivered another stellar performance by winning the gold medal at the 2022 Kuorten Games in Finland. Neeraj threw 86.69m in difficult and wet conditions to clinch the top prize. He also held the national record for men’s javelin throw at the Stockholm Diamond League with a throw of 89.94 metres, breaking his own record. He won a silver medal at the prestigious Diamond League meet in Stockholm and broke his own previous record.
At the World Athletics Championships in July, Neeraj Chopra created history by becoming only the second Indian and the first male track and field athlete to win a medal. He finished second and won the silver medal, achieving his goal of winning a world medal with a throw of 88.13 metres. Before Neeraj, Anju Bobby George had won the bronze medal for India in the long jump competition.
In September, Chopra created history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League trophy, a top-level athletics competition, achieving one of the biggest wins of his career by achieving a best throw of 88.44 metres.
More achievements await Neeraj in the next year. Neeraj won the first gold medal for India at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. Neeraj recorded his best throw of 88.17 meters in his second attempt and managed to win the gold medal in Budapest by maintaining his lead till the end.
Neeraj lived up to the expectations and won the gold medal at the Asian Games and his compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena won the silver medal following a strong performance by the Indian athletes at the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium on October 4.
Neeraj defended his title and created history in the continental competition. The event was keenly watched on TV screens across the country as the two Indians grabbed the headlines. There was a tough competition between the two Indian athletes and Neeraj won with his season’s best throw of 88.88 metres.
With gold medals and Diamond League titles at the Asian Games, Olympics, Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships, Chopra has won every top award in the sport. He has set an unprecedented example with his persistence and hunger for gold.
