Top five Indian Performers at World Athletics Championships 2023

Six Indians made it to the final including the men’s relay team.

In the Hungarian capital of Budapest, India concluded its participation in the World Athletics Championships 2023 with a single gold medal which positioned the country at a joint 18th spot in the medals table. This achievement marked India’s third medal ever in the history of the World Athletics Championships. The previous instances were Anju Bobby George’s bronze in long jump at Paris, 2003 and Neeraj’s silver at Oregon, 2022.

Despite encountering significant setbacks, the Indian athletes demonstrated their utmost dedication and effort throughout the Championships.

The Indian delegation consisted of 27 athletes who specialized in diverse athletic disciplines including 23 men and 4 women. India’s participation spanned across 15 events during the World Athletics Championships 2023 encompassing 11 events dedicated to men and four events designated for women.

Out of these, five athletes entered the finals including the trio – Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu and Kishore Kumar Jena in men’s javelin throw, Parul Chaudhary in women’s 3000m steeplechase and Jeswin Aldrin in men’s long jump.

Joining them were the men’s 4x400m relay team which comprised Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal and Rajesh Ramesh who etched their names in history by becoming the first men’s team from the nation to advance to the final. On the other hand, Neeraj Chopra clinched India’s solitary medal in Budapest and emerged as the world champion with the coveted gold in men’s javelin throw.

Here are the top five performers from India at World Athletics Championships 2023!

1. Neeraj Chopra (Javelin)

Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic champion, made history once more by clinching the gold medal in men’s javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. His monumental throw of 88.17m made him the first-ever Indian to become a world champion in athletics.

With this victory, he now holds both the Olympic and world champion titles establishing his dominance in the sport and leaving a trail of accomplishments that only few athletes can match.

2. Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase)

During the heats at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Parul clocked an impressive personal best time of 9:24.29. She further improved her performance in the finals by recording a time of 9:15.31 and secured the 11th position in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. Despite missing out on a medal, Parul managed to establish a new national record by surpassing Lalita Babar’s previous record of 9:19.76 set during the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil.

With that finish, Parul Chaudhary also secured her spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics as her performance was more than sufficient to meet the qualifying criteria of 9:23.0.

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3. Men’s 4x400m relay team

The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team secured the fifth position in the finals. Comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal and Rajesh Ramesh, the team completed the race in 2:59.92

During the preceding day, in the qualifying rounds, the Indian team achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the Asian record (held by Japan) by completing the race in 2:59.05. An exhilarating race that went viral across social media platforms and emerged as the most eagerly anticipated event in the finals. The Indian quartet also made history by becoming the first-ever Indian men’s squad to advance to a World Championship finals.

4. Kishore Kumar Jena (Javelin)

Kishore Kumar Jena, India’s talented Javelin thrower, showcased a series of remarkable throws at the World Athletics Championships 2023 and ultimately clinched the fifth position. This accomplishment holds special significance due to the obstacles he had to overcome like the visa incident that nearly hindered his participation.

Despite these challenges, Jena’s unwavering determination prevailed and rightful earned him a top-eight finish in the championship’s final round. The highlight of his performance came during his fifth attempt where he unleashed a personal best throw of 84.77m that solidified his fifth-place finish.

5. Jeswin Aldrin (Long jump)

Entering the competition as the World Leader in outdoor jumps this year, Jeswin managed his final bid in the men’s long jump competition at the Athletics World Championships with a lone successful attempt of 7.78m and secured the 11th position in his debut World Championships final.

During the preliminary round, Jeswin narrowly secured a spot in the 12-man final with a jump measuring 8.00m and he burst into the final with an all-or-nothing approach and the fact that he didn’t opt for the safer route is what truly sets him apart.

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