On 7 August, 2021, Neeraj Chopra penned his name in the annals of Indian history. He became the first ever Indian to win Olympic gold medal in track and field events. Along with taking home the gold, his record-setting javelin throw of 87.58 meters made him the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal, following Abhinav Bindra.  

Acknowledging Neeraj’s outstanding achievement, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) declared August 7 as National Javelin Day. This year again, Neeraj Chopra made India proud by sealing his spot in Olympics finals.  

In the Group B qualification round on Tuesday, at the Paris Olympics 2024, Chopra surged in the men’s javelin competition with a single throw. Requiring an 84m throw for automatic progression, his first throw of the javelin was 89.34m which put him in the final.  

The 26-year-old marked the greatest throw of the season without using his remaining two attempts.  

Neeraj Chopra 

Indian javelin thrower Chopra gained international recognition for his sporting prowess. He was born on December 24, 1997, in Haryana’s Khandra. Chopra is celebrated as the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He has established himself as one of the world’s best javelin throwers and has secured multiple medals at the World Athletics Championships and other international tournaments. 

Out of 32 athletes in two groups, 12 advanced to the final. Chopra entered the competition with comparatively few opponents. He only took part in three events before the Paris Olympics and faced setbacks due to an adductor injury and missed the Ostrava Golden Spike 2024.  

Meanwhile, Kishore Jena, the other Indian contestant fell short of qualifying for the final. After recording his best throw of 80.73m, he was laced 9^th in Group A. On his first try, Jena threw 80.73m but fouled his second. On his final try, he required 84m, but only managed 80.21m, missing the final.