Paris, 2024 – The Paris Olympics 2024 has turned into a tale of close calls for India, Neeraj Chopra Takes Silver at Paris Olympics 2024 and with several athletes falling just short of the podium, including in shooting, archery, and badminton. The nation’s hopes rested heavily on Neeraj Chopra, the defending Olympic champion in men’s javelin, to deliver a gold. Despite an extraordinary performance, Neeraj’s efforts were not enough to retain his title as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record to clinch the gold.
Neeraj Chopra, known for his calm demeanor and laser focus, showcased his best performance of the season with a throw of 89.45 meters, surpassing his qualifying round effort. This, however, was overshadowed by Arshad Nadeem’s phenomenal 92.97-meter throw, which stunned the competition and broke the Olympic record, marking a historic victory for Pakistan.
The rivalry between Chopra and Nadeem is well-documented, blending both competition and camaraderie. While they have faced off multiple times on the global stage, this is the first instance where Nadeem has outperformed Chopra in an international competition. Nadeem had previously won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, an event Chopra had to miss due to injury.
Despite his Olympic silver, Neeraj Chopra’s career remains stellar. At just 26, Chopra has already become one of India’s most decorated Olympians. He won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, making history as India’s first-ever track and field Olympic champion. Now, with an Olympic gold and silver to his name, Neeraj joins the ranks of India’s elite athletes, including PV Sindhu, Sushil Kumar, and Manu Bhaker, but he stands alone at the top as the only individual Indian athlete to have won both a gold and a silver at the Olympics.
Chopra’s quest for the elusive 90-meter mark, a milestone that has evaded him thus far, continues to be a talking point. His determination to reach this benchmark was evident during the competition, where he put every ounce of his strength into each throw. However, only one of his first five attempts was legal, and though it secured him the silver, it was a night of what-ifs for the Indian star.
Near Miss for Neeraj Chopra at Paris Olympics 2024: Arshad Nadeem Snatches Gold with Record-Breaking Throw
Neeraj Chopra’s achievements extend beyond the Olympics. He is also a World Champion, having won gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and he has consistently performed at the highest levels, making him a symbol of excellence in Indian sports.
As he looks towards the future, Chopra remains optimistic. With age on his side, and a rigorous focus on fitness and injury prevention, Neeraj Chopra is expected to continue his journey towards greatness. The Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 offers another opportunity for him to add to his legacy, and if his current form is any indication, India can expect even greater things from its golden boy in the years to come.
The Paris Olympics 2024 has been a story of near misses for India, day after day. Shooters, archers, and shuttlers have piled up 4th place finishes, and it was always going to be an enormous task for Neeraj Chopra to defend his men’s javelin crown here.
Neeraj Chopra took his game up a notch, coming up with a season best of 89.45m – even better than his monstrous throw on the first attempt in the men’s javelin qualifier a couple of days back – but even that was not enough to bring home a gold medal again. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem came up with an ‘out of this world’ freak effort of 92.97m throw – a new Olympic record to snatch away the crown from India’s hero.
The rivalry and the friendship between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem has been going on for a long time. But this is the first time in his career that Arshad Nadeem has finished ahead of Neeraj Chopra in an international competition. The Pakistani javelin thrower had won the 2022 Commonwealth Games title with another 90m-plus throw but Neeraj Chopra had missed out on that tournament due to injury.
Neeraj’s mother, Saroj Devi, was also delighted with her son’s achievement. “We are very happy. For us, silver is as valuable as gold. The gold medalist is also like our son. Despite his injury, we are proud of our son’s performance. I will cook his favourite meal,” she said.
WATCH reaction of Neeraj Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi HERE…
Neeraj Chopra’s mother says “ I am happy with the silver, the guy who got gold ( Arshad Nadeem) is also my child, everyone goes there after doing a lot of hard work”
what grace from Neeraj Chopra’s mother, something that people can learn a lot from ♥️
Most beautiful video on… pic.twitter.com/Uqz3LQZCv7
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) August 8, 2024
Neeraj has never propelled the javelin beyond the 90m mark in his career till date. The one burning question on everyone’s mind since he won the Tokyo Olympics 2021 gold was when will the Indian breach the 90m barrier. It was not to be on this night in Paris as well!
Nadeem was also the 2023 World Championship silver medallist, ending runners-up Neeraj Chopra but in Paris he reigned supreme. Just like Neeraj in Tokyo, Arshad Nadeem ensured that he will end up as the first-ever track-and-field athlete from his country to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Neeraj threw every ounce of strength in his body in an effort to put up a fight against the inevitable Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. One could see the determination in his eye, the desire to achieve the impossible but the ground seemed to slip away from under him – especially on the 5th throw.
Ironically, Neeraj only managed one legal throw out of the first five and it was enough to seal a silver medal for him. On any other night, it may well have been enough to secure the men’s javelin crown.
Neeraj Chopra 🇮🇳 has thrown his season best of 89.45m and almost 2 metres more than his Tokyo Gold. But Arshad Nadeem 🇵🇰 has just thrown something else. It’s not even 90,91 or 92 it’s a 92.97! Not sure if that can be breached tonight. Let’s see.
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) August 8, 2024
That doesn’t take anything away from Neeraj though as he still becomes one of the most decorated Olympians from India ever. No other individual athlete has won a gold and a silver medal from the Olympics. Shuttler PV Sindhu (one silver, one bronze), wrestler Sushil Kumar (one silver, one bronze), and shooter Manu Bhaker (two bronze) are the only double Olympic medallists apart from Neeraj Chopra.
But on the top of the charts, it is definitely Neeraj Chopra with a gold and a silver medal to his name. Eric Lemming (Sweden; 1908 and 1912), Jonni Myyra (Finland; 1920 and 1924), Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic; 1992, 1996, and 2000), and Andreas Thorkildsen (Norway; 2004 and 2008) are the only ones who have successfully defended their men’s javelin titles.
Neeraj is only 26 years of age. If he can keep his fitness levels up and steer clear of injuries, the Indian star will definitely fancy his chances in 4 years’ time at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
A Glimpse into Neeraj Chopra’s Past
Born on December 24, 1997, in a small village called Khandra in the Panipat district of Haryana, Neeraj Chopra’s journey to becoming an Olympic champion is nothing short of inspirational. A chubby child, Neeraj faced bullying for his weight, which led him to take up sports as a means to get fit. His uncle introduced him to javelin throwing, and there was no looking back.
Neeraj first grabbed attention when he broke the world junior record with a throw of 86.48m at the 2016 World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. This victory marked him as a future star. He continued to improve and claimed gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Jakarta with a throw of 88.06m, setting a new national record.
However, it was the Tokyo 2021 Olympics that cemented his status as a national hero. Neeraj became the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in athletics, achieving this historic feat with a throw of 87.58m.
Neeraj Chopra’s journey is a testament to hard work, determination, and an unyielding spirit. Despite the heartbreak in Paris, his legacy as one of India’s greatest athletes is secure. The story of Neeraj Chopra is still being written, and the best chapters may be yet to come.
Good. Very informative