Since winning the gold medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics and becoming India’s first sportsperson to win an athletics medal in the games, Neeraj Chopra has gone strength to strength to dominate headlines. His memorable Olympics campaign was followed by an equally impressive Stockholm Diamond League and Worth Athletics Championships campaign, and the 24-year-old did not disappoint his admirers.

Chopra is currently taking part in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, where he has displayed some magnificent performance. However, the astounding moment came on Friday, when he broke the national record in order to reach the final with a massive 88.39 metres throw.

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Watch his record breaking throw here:

The qualification mark was set at 83.50 meters, which Chopra accomplished with a single throw. Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, who finished behind Neeraj Chopra in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, also followed him to the final, which will be taking place on Sunday.

If the Olympic gold medallist manages to clinch a podium finish on Sunday, it will be his maiden honour at the Championships. A victory will also help him become the first men’s javelin thrower to win a World Athletics Championships title following an Olympic medal since Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2008-09 season.

Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George is the only athlete from the country to have won a medal in the World Athletics Championships till date, as she won a bronze medal almost two decades ago in 2003.

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Chopra is also looking forward to breaking the 90 metres threshold this year, an achievement that he came close to on Friday. He remains optimistic about achieving the target in the ongoing year, as he will also be participating in the Commonwealth Games 2022, along with the Asian Games later.

“Medal is one thing, distance is another. Crossing the 90m mark will put me in the list of the world’s best throwers,” the javelin thrower said during a virtual interaction last year.

“I am close to it and can hit the mark soon, but I don’t think about it too much,” he added.