Neeraj Chopra wins India’s first silver medal of Paris Olympics in men’s javelin

It took 13 days and the penultimate event of their campaign, but India finally secured a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 other than bronze. Neeraj Chopra, the face of Indian athletics, fell short of defending his gold from the Tokyo but still clinched a silver – India’s first of the 2024 Games. His best throw of the day was his second and the only valid attempt, recorded at a season-best of 89.45 meters, marked a significant achievement, though it wasn’t enough to surpass Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who claimed gold with a monumental throw of 92.97 meters, breaking the Olympic record.
Neeraj may have missed out on gold, but took India’s medal count at Paris 2024 to five, with a chance for another on Friday. After Swapnil Kusale’s bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position final, India went six day without winning a single medal, before the lull was ended by two medals in one day – Neeraj’s silver and the men’s hockey team’s second consecutive bronze on Thursday evening.
Neeraj, who became India’s only second individual male athlete to win multiple medal at the Olympics after former wrestler Sushil Kumar, had been touted as India’s biggest medal hope at the Paris Games, but with formidable opponents like Julian Weber, Anderson Peters, and Arshad Nadeem, victory was far from guaranteed. The competition began on a rather surprising note, with Neeraj, Arshad, and Weber all committing fouls on their first attempts. Arshad struggled at first, hesitating midway through his first run-up and restarting, only to produce an unsatisfactory throw.
However, the burly athlete from Pakistan quickly turned things around, unleashing a throw that comfortably surpassed the 90-meter mark, instantly putting Neeraj under pressure. Neeraj finally got on the board with his second attempt, but his momentum faltered again with another foul on his third try. After three rounds, four of the 12 competitors were eliminated, leaving Neeraj to face fierce competition from Jakub Vadlejch, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego and Julian Weber among the top eight, even though he remained second.
In round four, as the orders reshuffled, Peters took lead, landing an 88.54, leapfrogging Vadlejch. Neeraj, eager to improve his standing, followed, but frustration got the better of him as he fouled again, crossing the line and registering another no-throw. Next came Nadeem again. After a series of strong performances, this time he played it safe, staying within bounds but only managing a throw of 79.40 meters. Despite the dip in distance, Nadeem remained in the lead, with Neeraj holding onto second place and Peters third.
In the fifth round, Lassi Etelatalo couldn’t improve his position, while Keshorn Walcott recorded a modest 76.86 meters. Weber, needing a big throw, delivered an impressive 87.40 meters – an improvement but still not enough to break into the top three. Yego followed with another solid effort of 83.20 meters, keeping him in fourth place. Peters, determined to challenge for a higher spot, threw 87.38 meters, maintaining his third-place position. Vadlejch then managed 84.98 meters, falling short of the podium.
The spotlight shifted back to Neeraj for his fifth attempt. The pressure was immense, and once again, Neeraj fouled, crossing the line and venting his anger. Nadeem responded with an 84.87-meter throw, securing his lead as the final round approached. With just one throw left for each competitor, it was now or never.
Etelatalo tried to improve his standing with a final throw over 80 meters, but it wasn’t enough, and he finished eighth. Walcott opted to pass on his last attempt, securing seventh place. Weber’s final throw fell short of 85 meters, confirming his sixth-place finish with a best of 87.33 meters. Yego, with his earlier throw of 87.72 meters – good enough for gold in Tokyo – finished fifth.
Vadlejch, then fourth, had his last shot but couldn’t surpass the 85-meter mark, confirming a medal for Neeraj. Peters, with one final attempt to overtake Neeraj, fell short, securing the bronze medal. Finally, it was Neeraj’s last chance to challenge Nadeem for the gold but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. He committed another foul, sealing his fate with a silver medal. Nadeem’s gold was guaranteed even before his final throw, and the 27-year-old celebrated the occasions by letting rip a gigantic throw of 91.79m.