World Athletics Championships 2023: Neeraj Chopra becomes world champion in men's javelin throw

He is also now the only Indian to win two medals in the prestigious competition.

India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra recorded a best effort of 88.17m in his second attempt to become the world champion in men’s javelin throw at World Athletics Championships 2023. The Olympic champion becomes the first Indian to win a gold medal and is also the only Indian athlete to win two medals at the World Athletics Championships.

He has also only the third athlete after WR holder Jan Zelezny and Andreas Thorkildsen to become both Olympic and World Champion in men’s javelin.

Neeraj Chopra did not make a good start to the final as he began with a foul throw after spearing his Javelin to below 80m. However, he made a wonderful comeback with his second attempt by recording 88.17m — close to the season best mark he recorded in the qualifying rounds.

In the following rounds, Chopra recorded 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and finished the proceedings with 83.98m. The second throw in the overall series remained his best attempt.

With this gold medal winning performance, Neeraj Chopra has now won every major competition he has participated in — Tokyo Olympics, Diamond League, Diamond League Finals, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Junior Championships.

Commonwealth Games 2022 champion from Pakistan Arshad Nadeem clinched the silver medal with a best throw of 87.82m in his third attempt. While Tokyo Olympics silver medalist and World Lead Jakub Vadlejch won the bronze with a best effort of 86.67m.

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Former Olympic medalist Jullien Weber’s fourth place finish streak in big events extended to this edition of the World Athletics Championships after Tokyo Olympics and World Championships 2022. He finished fourth with a best throw of 85.79m.

The other two Indian contenders Manu DP (6th) and Kishore Kumar Jena (5th) did well to finish inside the top wight. Manu DP registered a best throw of 84.14m in his fifth attempt. On the other hand, Kishore Jena recorded his personal best mark with a throw of 84.77m — falling just below the Paris Olympics qualification mark of 85.50m.

Jena at one point of time stayed in the fourth spot just behind Jakub Vadlejch but Weber overtook Kishore Kumar with an 85m plus attempt.

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