Ace javelin thrower and Olympian Neeraj Chopra created history once again in the early hours of Monday as he won the gold medal at World Athletics Championship 2023. Chopra gave India its first gold medal at the World Athletics Championship with a throw of 88.17 metres in his second attempt in Budapest.
After clocking 88.17 m in his second throw, Chopra managed to keep his lead over Pakistan star and Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem who came second with a throw of 87.82 metres. While Nadeem bagged the silver medal, the bronze medal was won by Jakub Vadlejch from Czech Republic with a throw of 86.67 mts. Two other Indian athletes, Kishore Jena and DP Manu came fifth and sixth with throws of 84.77 m and 84.14 m, respectively.
With the gold, Neeraj now has two medals at the World Athletics Championship after he added to his silver medal winning performance from last year. Before Neeraj Chopra, India’s last medal winner at the World Athletics Championship was Anju Bobby George who had won the bronze medal in women’s long jump in 2003.
The Indian Army and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the congratulatory messages to Chopra on achieving the historic feat. PM Modi wrote in a tweet, “The talented Neeraj Chopra exemplifies excellence. His dedication, precision and passion make him not just a champion in athletics but a symbol of unparalleled excellence in the entire sports world. Congrats to him for winning the Gold at the World Athletics Championships.”
