Historic Silver For Neeraj Chopra As Arshad Nadeem Dominates Men’s Javelin Throw With Record-Breaking Performance

In a gripping finale at the Paris Olympics , Neeraj Chopra experienced a poignant, albeit manageable, disappointment as he clinched a historic Silver in the Men’s Javelin Throw on Thursday.

Chopra, the reigning champion, faced stiff competition from Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem , who outperformed him with a remarkable Olympic Record throw of 92.97 meters. Chopra's best effort, a season-high of 89.45 meters, earned him the Silver medal.

This Silver adds to Chopra’s impressive Olympic tally, placing him alongside an elite group of Indian athletes who have won multiple individual Olympic medals post-Independence. Among them are shuttler PV Sindhu (one silver, one bronze), wrestler Sushil Kumar (one silver, one bronze), and shooter Manu Bhaker (two bronze).

Chopra entered the competition with high expectations, buoyed by a sensational 89.34-meter throw in the qualification round. However, the Paris event proved to be more challenging than Tokyo, with nine throwers surpassing the automatic final qualification mark of 84 meters, compared to just six in Tokyo.

The final commenced with Keshorn Walcott setting an early benchmark with an 86.16-meter throw, while Arshad Nadeem and Germany’s Julian Weber had initial foul throws.

Chopra’s first throw, an explosive effort, unfortunately resulted in a foul due to a loss of balance. The competition intensified as Grenadian Anderson Peters took the lead with a 87.87-meter throw.

Arshad Nadeem’s next throw of 92.97 meters set a new Olympic Record, placing him firmly in the lead. Chopra responded with a strong 89.45-meter throw, a season-best for him, securing the Silver position. His gesture to the crowd suggested confidence and determination.

As the competition progressed, it became evident that the contest was between Chopra and Nadeem, reviving the classic India-Pakistan rivalry on the global stage. Despite a few underwhelming throws and strategic fouls from Chopra, Nadeem’s performance proved unassailable.

Chopra’s final throw fell short, measuring under 80 meters, and he ended with a total of four fouls out of five attempts, conceding the Gold to Nadeem and settling for Silver.