Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra bags silver as Arshad Nadeem sets new Olympic record to clinch gold

Neeraj Chopra took only one valid throw at the javelin final of the Paris Olympics 2024.

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem created history with two above-90-meter throws and made a new Olympic record at the Paris Games. Meanwhile, India’s top gold medal hopeful and the Tokyo Champion, Neeraj Chopra, finished second, winning the nation’s first silver medal in the French capital.

The event started with Jakub Vadlejch taking a throw of 80.15 m. After the 33-year-old, Anderson Peters (84.70 m) and Keshorn Walcott (86.16 m) completed their throws. The first faulty throw of the event was attempted by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who looked indecisive throughout his run-up.

Following Nadeem, a red flag was also raised on Julian Weber’s first attempt. Finland’s Lassi Etelätalo and Kenya’s Julius Yego also completed their throws before Neeraj Chopra took a faulty attempt. After the first series, Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago was leading the pack with only over 85m throw.

However, the audience froze when Arshad Nadeem completed a colossal throw of 92.97 m and set a new Olympic record. The Pakistani coaches were seen embracing each other with grinning faces, as Nadeem could hardly believe that he was an Olympic record holder.

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A gigantic throw of 92.97 m by Nadeem, one of the only seven players sent by the South Asian country, looked like a miracle in the French capital. Later, Chopra solidified his place in the second spot with 89.45 m in the second series. Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch threw 88.50 m on the third attempt, securing three more throws for the final.

Meanwhile, the attempts by Chopra and Peters in the third series were invalid. An affray was going on between athletes to get into the medal contention, while Nadeem looked unfazed. Undoubtedly, Neeraj Chopra gave a heavily improved performance at the Paris Olympics, but the Tokyo champion was under a huge mound of pressure since Nadeem’s throw.

The pressure was visible as he stretched his arm before starting his run-up for the fifth throw. As soon as the Indian released the javelin, he slithered out of the throwing line, and a disappointed Chopra yelled blaringly. A quirky silence was present among all the athletes as they were preparing for the last dance in the city of Paris.

Germany’s Julian Weber ended 6th with his best throw of 87.40 m, while Jakub Vadlejch finished fourth, failing to defend his silver medal at the Tokyo Games. Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished third with a throw of 88.54 m. Meanwhile, India’s biggest gold medal hopeful, Neeraj Chopra, finished second with his best and only legal throw of 89.45 m.

To conclude the event, the Pakistani athlete completed a throw of 91.79 m. After the final throw, he bowed down with his palms on his face, understanding the magnitude of the achievement he had accomplished. Nadeem became the first Olympic medalist for Pakistan since 1992. Additionally, it was Pakistan’s first individual gold medal at the Olympics.

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