Picture : ANI/ X
Defending champion Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win two successive Olympic medals after a silver in the men’s Javelin Throw in Paris .
The night though belonged to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who destroyed a top-class field by setting a new Olympic record for his country’s maiden individual gold at the showpiece.
Nadeem cleared an astonishing 92.97 metres in his second attempt to set the bar well-high for the rest of the field, including Chopra, who seemed under pressure and had just one legitimate throw — the silver-winning 89.45m in the second round.
It was the season’s best effort from the Indian, topping his qualification throw of 89.34m, but nowhere enough for gold.
Neeraj later told ANI, We all feel happy whenever we win a medal for the country…It’s time to improve the game now…We will sit and discuss and improve the performance…India played well (at the Paris Olympics)….The competition was good (today)…but every athlete have their day, today was Arshad’s day…I gave my best but some things need to be looked upon and worked upon…Our national anthem may not have been played today, but it will definitely be played somewhere else in the future…”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tweeted on X
Neeraj Chopra is excellence personified! Time and again he’s shown his brilliance. India is elated that he comes back with yet another Olympic success. Congratulations to him on winning the Silver. He will continue to motivate countless upcoming athletes to pursue their dreams… pic.twitter.com/XIjfeDDSeb
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2024
Nonetheless, Chopra became only the third Indian and first in track and field to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals.
Only wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008 and 2012) and shuttler P V Sindhu (2016 and 2021) have won back-to-back Olympic medals.
The earlier Olympic record stood at 90.57m in the name of Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway, set during the 2008 Beijing Games.
Thorkildsen was watching the proceedings from the stands, along with three-time Olympic champion and World record (98.48m) holder Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters grabbed the last podium place with an effort of 88.54m while the Czech Republic’s Yakub Vadlejch finished fourth (88.50m). Kenya’s Julius Yego (SB 87.72) was fifth.
Neeraj Chopra bagged India’s first Silver medal and it was the nation’s fifth medal at Paris Olympics . Overall India at the medal tally is ata dismal 64 … with 1 Silver , 4 Bronze …
