NI Bureau
New Delhi : The Paris Olympics 2024 has been a series of close calls for India, with athletes in shooting, archery, and badminton frequently finishing just shy of the podium in fourth place. Given this backdrop, it was always going to be a monumental challenge for Neeraj Chopra to defend his men’s javelin title.
Neeraj Chopra elevated his performance with a season-best throw of 89.45m, surpassing his earlier impressive throw in qualifiers. However, even this remarkable effort fell short of securing a second consecutive gold. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem delivered an extraordinary Olympic record throw of 92.97m, claiming the gold and dethroning India’s hero.
Rivalry and camaraderie between Neeraj Chopra and Nadeem have been well-documented over years. However, this marks the first time Nadeem has outperformed Chopra in an international competition. Nadeem previously won the 2022 Commonwealth Games title with a throw exceeding 90m, a tournament Chopra missed due to injury.
Despite his consistent excellence, Chopra has yet to surpass the 90m mark in his career. Since his gold medal win at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, the question on everyone’s mind has been when Chopra will break this barrier. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be in Paris.
Nadeem, who also secured a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships, triumphed in Paris, becoming the first track-and-field athlete from Pakistan to win Olympic gold. Chopra, despite his valiant efforts, could not overcome Nadeem’s historic performance.
Chopra’s determination was evident as he gave everything he had in pursuit of another gold. However, the elusive victory slipped away, particularly after his fifth throw, where he only managed one legal throw out of the first five attempts, securing a silver medal.
This outcome does not diminish Chopra’s achievements; he remains one of India’s most decorated Olympians. He is the only individual athlete from India to have won both a gold and a silver medal at the Olympics. Alongside Chopra, only a few Indian athletes, including shuttler PV Sindhu, wrestler Sushil Kumar, and shooter Manu Bhaker, have won multiple Olympic medals.
At the top of India’s Olympic achievements is Neeraj Chopra, with his gold and silver medals. In the history of the men’s javelin, only a select few—Eric Lemming (Sweden; 1908 and 1912), Jonni Myyra (Finland; 1920 and 1924), Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic; 1992, 1996, and 2000), and Andreas Thorkildsen (Norway; 2004 and 2008)—have successfully defended their precious titles.
At just 26 years old, Neeraj Chopra has time on his side. If he can maintain his fitness and avoid injuries, the Indian star will undoubtedly aim to reclaim his crown at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Prateeksha Thakur
