Neeraj Chopra turns 24: A look at his steller rise and records

Neeraj Chopra is Indian athletics’ golden
boy. The Haryana athlete has been India’s face in the international sports
area. He is the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in track and field,
designated as the Games’ one of the most prestigious events.

What the Indian Army Subedar has already
achieved at this age is massive, given that no other Indian athlete has ever
come close to him. In an impressive career, Neeraj Chopra has already erased
several records, both national and global, to bring glory to India.

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As he turns 24 on Friday, Opoyi takes a
look at Neeraj Chopra’s steller records.

First
Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal 

The moment Neeraj Chopra completed his
final threw at Tokyo’s National Stadium in the men’s javelin throw event at the
2020 Tokyo Olympics, he became the first individual Indian athlete to win
Olympic gold medal.

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With his second throw measuring 87.58m
handing him the gold medal at Tokyo, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian
track and field athlete to win a medal at the Olympics.

Until Neeraj Chopra’s Tokyo heroics,
India’s legacy in athletics at the Summer Olympics was highlighted only by
heart-breaking misses. Milkha Singh and PT Usha agonisingly fell short of the
podium by a fraction of a second at the 1960 Rome Olympics and the 1984 Los
Angeles Olympics, respectively.

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Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal at Tokyo ushered
a new era for Indian athletics, with youngsters in Haryana picking up the spear
to make javelin throw as their favourite sport. It was also India’s second
Olympic gold at the Olympics, following shooter Abhinav Bindra’s 10m air rifle
triumph at Beijing 2008.

India’s
first track and field athlete to win world championships

Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal at the 2016 IAAF
World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, was a milestone moment in the
future Olympic champion’s career.

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With the win, the then 18-year-old Neeraj
Chopra became the first Indian track and field athlete to become a world
champion in any event and any age level. The win proved to be a confidence
booster for Neeraj Chopra.

First
Indian track and field athlete to set a world record

Neeraj Chopra’s winning throw of 86.48m at
the junior championships in Poland also set the new under-20 world record,
beating the 84.69m mark established by the previous holder, Latvia’s Zigismunds
Sirmais.

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Neeraj Chopra’s 86.48m attempt at Bydgoszcz
still stands as both the U20 world record as well as the U20 Asian record in
the javelin throw.

Holder
of Indian national javelin throw record

Neeraj Chopra has been the holder of the
Indian national record in men’s javelin throw since 2016. The Indian ace first
set the senior national record during the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati,
where he equalled Rajinder Singh’s mark of 82.23m en route to gold. At the U20
world championships a few months later, he took sole custody and has bettered
his own record several times since.

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Neeraj Chopra’s best attempt to date came
at the Indian Grand Prix 3 in Patiala on March 5, 2021, where he managed his
personal best of 88.07m to establish the new national record.

First
Indian javelin thrower to win gold medal at Asian Games

One of Neeraj Chopra’s several national
record-bettering throws was at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where he won
the gold medal with an 88.06m attempt.

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With this medal, Neeraj Chopra also became
the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. Before
him, Gurtej Singh was the only men’s javelin thrower from the country to win a
medal – bronze at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games.

On his 24th birthday, Opoyi wishes him many
more successes in the years to come.