Neeraj Chopra ensured India an assured silver medal in men’s javelin at the Paris Olympics on August 7 with a best throw of 89.45 metres.
Chopra failed to retain the gold medal in the men’s javelin, but the night belonged to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who threw a record 92.97m to give Pakistan its first Olympic gold medal since 1984.
Feeling the pressure, Chopra managed only one valid throw, reaching 89.45m in the second round, which earned him the silver medal. Nadeem was supposed to compete with Chopra at the Hangzhou Asian Games in October last year, but pulled out at the last minute due to injury. He was beaten by Chopra at the 2018 Asian Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games.
With his silver, Neeraj joins an elite list of Indian athletes who have won multiple medals at the Olympics in an individual sport. Shuttler PV Sindhu (one silver, one bronze), wrestler Sushil Kumar (one silver, one bronze) and shooter Manu Bhaker (two bronze) are the only Olympians to have won two Olympic medals since independence.
Chopra’s first throw, an explosive effort, unfortunately ended in a foul due to a loss of balance. The competition intensified when Grenadian Anderson Peters took the lead with a throw of 87.87 meters.
Arshad Nadeem’s next throw of 92.97 meters set a new Olympic record and put him firmly in the lead. Chopra responded with a strong throw of 89.45 metres, his season’s best, to secure the silver position. His gesture to the crowd suggested confidence and determination.
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As the competition progressed, it became clear that it was a competition between Chopra and Nadee, reviving the classic India-Pakistan rivalry on the global stage. Despite some stunning throws and strategic fouls from Chopra, Nadeem’s performance proved unassailable.
Chopr’s last throw did not reach 80 meters and he ended up with a total of four fouls out of five attempts, conceding the gold to Nadeem and settling for silver.
