Neeraj Chopra scripts history, bags India’s maiden track and field medal in Olympic history with gold medal at Tokyo Olympics

Neeraj Chopra scripts history, bags India’s maiden track and field medal in Olympic history with gold medal at Tokyo Olympics

Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra has scripted history at his maiden Olympic appearance. Chopra bagged India’s maiden Olympic medal as he clinched the gold medal in javelin throw. This is India’s second individual gold medal at the quadrennial event. Neeraj produced a stunning throw of 87.58m to script history.

The gold medal in javelin throw is India’s first-ever Olympic medal in a track and field event. Chopra is the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games. Bindra achieved the feat at the 2008 Beijing Games and 13 years down the lane, a 23-year-old Neeraj joined him at the top.

Neeraj started off right on the money with a stunning 87.03m bettering his qualifying throw. The reigning Asian Champion was oozing confidence and it showed in his second throw. Neeraj registered an 87.58m throw to better his first attempt. With it, he finished as the top thrower in the first half of the final.

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Neeraj Chopra’s rival, Johannes Vetter makes shocking exit

Johannes Vetter
Johannes Vetter

In a shocking upset, Germany’s Johannes Vetter, the reigning World Champion, failed to make it to the second half of the final. Vetter, the gold medal favorite, managed only a single legal throw in the final as he managed only 82.52. The German was seen struggling in the humid Tokyo conditions in the qualifying round and it continued in the finals too.

Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch clinched the silver medal while his compatriot and London Olympics bronze medalist,
Vítězslav Veselý added yet another bronze to his name. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem put up a great show to finish fifth behind Germany’s Julian Weber.

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