The 88.13-meter throw by Neeraj Chopra gave India a remarkable silver medal at the WAC
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra made history once more as he won silver in the javelin throw final, making him the second Indian and first male track – and – field athlete to do so.
Until his third throw, Neeraj Chopra was not in contention for a medal in the male’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Sunday. The Olympic winner and millions of other Indians understood that the spectacle was still going on, though. Neeraj Chopra proved that it wasn’t the case with a throw of 88.13 metres under pressure that immediately placed him in second place, just behind Anderson Peters. The gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics gave it his all but couldn’t overcome Peters, who broke the 90-meter barrier three times in the final, winning gold in his final two attempts instead, earning India’s first-ever silver medal at a World Championships.
Neeraj came up just short of his 88.39m throw at last year’s Olympics, which won him gold, with an 88.13m throw on Sunday. But it was enough to secure him his first silver at the World Championship and India’s second-place result. The only other Indian to have medaled at a World Championship is Anju Bobby Geroge. She won a bronze medal in the 2003 women’s long jump competition.
Check out the throw that won @Neeraj_chopra1 his historic Silver 🥈 at @WorldAthletics C'ships
Our Champ just nows when its a good throw 😁😇 and the Roar🔥#WCHOregon22 #IndianAthletics @PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @NisithPramanik @afiindia @SAI_Patiala @Adille1 pic.twitter.com/6Y5oSq534z
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 24, 2022
With a foul throw to open the proceedings, Chopra concluded the first 3 rounds with 82.39 & 86.37 metres. With a strong fourth-round throw of 88.13 metres, his fourth career-best effort, he was able to regain his rhythm.
Jakub Vadlejch, the Olympic silver medalist for the Czech Republic, won the bronze with 88.09 metres, and Anderson Peters, the defending champion from Grenada, captured the gold with a best throw of 90.54 metres.
Chopra threw his javelin 88.39 metres, that was his third-highest throw in his career, to win Group A and progress to the final in second place behind Peters. Peters, who covered 89.91 metres, had won Group B.
The sole competitor from India, Rohit Yadav, finished 10th overall with a best throw of 78.72 metres. Rohit finished the qualification round in eleventh place overall with a best throw of 80.42 metres.
