World Athletics Championships 2023: Neeraj Chopra crowned world champion, Parul Chaudhary qualifies for Paris Olympics
(Courtesy : Jio Cinema/Screenshot/Twitter)
The Indian men’s relay team finished fifth in the 4x400m final.
After a horrid start to their campaign, India ended the World Athletics Championships 2023 on a high with Neeraj Chopra being crowned the new world champion in javelin. As many as five Indians, including Chopra himself, competed in the final with Neeraj Chopra finishing as the sole medallist from India. Other Indian athletes, who reached the final, finished in credible positions helping the country finish on a high.
Parul Chaudhary set a new National Record in women’s 3000m steeplechase with a 11th place finish that also saw her qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024 after breaching the automatic qualification mark. The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team finished fifth having scripted history by reaching the final.
Kishore Kumar Jena and Manu DP, playing their first-ever final at the Worlds, ended fifth and sixth respectively to ensure India end with all three javelin throwers inside the top eight.
Here’s a breakdown of what unfolded on the final day of the World Athletics Championships 2023.
Neeraj Chopra wins gold at World Athletics Championships 2023
After a series of challenges throughout the championships, the final day turned out to be fruitful with Neeraj Chopra once again playing a pivotal role in securing India a medal and overall a successful finish.
Entering the Men’s Javelin Throw Finals were Neeraj Chopra, Manu DP and Kishore Jena who propelled India into the record books by becoming the fourth nation to have three athletes qualify for the Javelin throw finals. This historical feat places India in an exclusive list alongside the USA, Finland and Germany.
The trio also created groundbreaking achievements as prior to this there has never been an instance where three Indian athletes finished within the top eight of an event at the World Athletics Championships. This achievement is a significant milestone and speaks volumes about the progress and competitiveness of Indian athletes in the throws discipline at the global stage.
Kishore Jena with a throw of 84.77m claimed the fifth spot while DP Manu with a best effort of 84.14m secured the sixth position.
Neeraj Chopra with a 88.17m throw was crowned the world champion. His exceptional second round throw secured him the prestigious title making him the first Indian athlete to claim a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. This achievement marks a historic moment in Indian sports and the championship wrapped up with a victorious golden touch.
Parul Chaudhary qualifies for Paris Olympics 2024
Moving on to the women’s 3000m steeplechase final, Parul Chaudhary is certainly an athlete to keep an eye on. She secured the 11th position in the event and set a new national record of 9:15.31s. The 28-year-old also surpassed the entry standard of 9:23.00s required for the Paris Olympics.
A day back, the Indian men’s relay team made history by breaking the Asian record with a remarkable time of 2:59:05 seconds during the qualification round of the 4×400 relay. This outstanding achievement earned them a spot in their first-ever final round. With such a stellar performance, the expectations were set high and there was anticipation for the team to replicate this remarkable feat.
Men’s 4x400m relay team finishes a credible fifth
In the men’s 4x400m relay final, India secured a fifth-place finish and completed the race in 2:59.92. Anas initiated with a steady start from Lane 5 and Amoj encountered some challenges in the turnover and found himself in the second-to-last position by the end of the second lap.
With great resilience Ajmal displayed an impressive performance by surpassing the Dutch team and moving up to third-last place. The anchor leg was taken over by Rajesh Ramesh who took charge of the final stretch and finished fifth ahead of Botswana.
Even though they didn’t manage to secure a top-three finish, their performance still provides hope for a gold medal in the upcoming Asian Games.
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