Neeraj Chopra wins India’s first track and field gold at an Olympics

• Neeraj Chopra wins the first gold medal for India in the Tokyo Olympics.
• With this medal, India has won the most number of medals in Olympics
• The 23-year-old registered a best attempt of 87.58m to finish ahead of Czech Republic duo of Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely.

Subedar Neeraj Chopra created history for India by winning the gold medal in men’s javelin throw, with a throw of 87.58 metres.

Chopra was seen as a medal contender for India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and his performance in the qualification round had raised the expectations of his fans.

He had qualified for the javelin throw final with a throw of 86.65m.

Chopra is the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win a gold medal in an individual event for independent India.

Chopra, who hails from Haryana, is a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Indian Army.

The 23-year-old farmer's son from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana produced a second round throw of 87.58 metres in the finals to stun the athletics world and end India's 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics.

Bindra, who had won gold in 2008 Beijing Olympics, congratulated Chopra on Twitter for fulfilling the nation’s dream.


Chopra’s gold medal has made India surpass the tally of six medals won at the 2012 London Olympics. It is the most number of medals won by India in a single edition of the Olympics.

Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch bagged the silver medal with a throw of 86.67m. His compatriot Vitezslav Vesley took the bronze medal with a throw of 85.44m.

Chopra came into the final as a medal contender after topping the qualification round on Wednesday with a stunning first round throw of 86.59m.

But few would have thought he would bludgeon his way to gold in such a dominant fashion at the grandest stage.

Season leader and pre-tournament gold favourite Johannes Vetter of Germany, who had thrown the javelin to 90m plus distances seven times between April and June, was eliminated after the first three throws as he was placed ninth with a best effort of 82.52m.

Top eight after the first three throws get three more attempts while the remaining four in the 12-man final are eliminated.

With his fifth career best throw, Chopra has done something which the likes of late Milkha Singh and P T Usha could not do in the 1960 and 1984 editions.

No Indian has won a medal in athletics since the country started taking part in the Games in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium.

Three track and field athletes were part of the five-member team -- the other two being wrestlers -- in that Games.



(With inputs from PTI)




SEE ALSO
Byju's last two acquisitions and a deal with Disney reveal its American dream ⁠— one that is anchored in India
Six red flags for investors to avoid becoming a victim of misselling by agents or financial advisors