Olympics: Neeraj Chopra wins javelin for India's first ever athletics gold

TOKYO - Neeraj Chopra won the men’s javelin on Saturday (Aug 7) for India’s first ever Olympic athletics gold.

Chopra, 23, managed a winning best of 87.58 metres to go one better than India’s previous best: two silver medals won in the 200m and now-defunct 200m hurdles at the 1900 Paris Games by British-Indian Norman Pritchard.

The Czech Republic filled out the podium at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, Jakub Vadlejch taking silver with 86.67m and Vitezslav Vesely claiming bronze with 85.44m

Chopra, the 2018 Commonwealth champion, seized the lead with a throw of 87.03 on his first attempt, a distance no other competitor achieved during the final, winning India’s first gold of the Tokyo Games as his overjoyed team mates and coaches watched from the stands.

With medals assured, Vadlejch and Vesely attempted to reach the top of the podium on their final throws but each fouled.

Chopra became only the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal after Abhinav Bindra won the 10-metre air rifle event at the 2008 Games.

Olympics: Neeraj Chopra wins javelin for India’s first ever athletics gold. (2021, August 7). The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/olympics-neeraj-chopra-wins-javelin-for-indias-first-ever-athletics-gold