Neeraj Chopra on Saturday has become the only second Indian to secure an Individual Gold Medal at the Olympics. This medal is also the only medal that an Indian has won in track and field events. The event was “Javelin Throw”. His throw of 87.58m, a personal best, was more than enough for him to secure the gold medal!! His major competitors were the athletes from the Czech Republic, who won the Silver and Bronze. This is how the events had panned out: –
Qualification Round: –
This round happened on the 4th of August and Neeraj was all set. The qualification round saw Neeraj end in the first position in Pool A. It was his throw of 86.57m that helped him secure this position. He was followed next by Johaness Vetter of Germany. Pool B saw arch-rival Pakistan’s athlete Arshad Nadeem qualify with a throw of 85.16m!
Although this was Neeraj’s best effort off late, and it was his personal best by that time, Neeraj had just yet begun.
The final rounds: –
The finals began at 3:30 pm IST. Neeraj was looking in red hot form. The first throw was 87.03, next was the winning 87.58 and the last one was 76.79. The fourth throw was not considered as it was a foul throw!!
Neeraj’s this performance was closely followed by the Czech Athletes. The two, Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely, finished with throws of 86.67m and 85.44m respectively. Neeraj with his effort comprehensively defeated the German favorite Vetter.
All of the three athletes made the podium with their efforts. But this victory was special as for Indians this is their first medal in track and field events!! And, this isn’t a victory by a small margin but a victory that was comprehensive and dominant!! The visual of Neeraj Chopra on the podium was one to watch out for!
The “Good Wishes”: –
Just as soon as Neeraj was declared the winner of the event, the tweets and messages began to flow. Neeraj had won the hearts of 1.35 billion Indians. Abhinav Bindra, Kiren Rijiju, and PM Narendra Modi had a lot of words of praise for Neeraj.
Quote Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, “History has been scripted at Tokyo! What @Neeraj_chopra1 has achieved today will be remembered forever. The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold”
With this medal, it has become India’s most successful Olympic Campaign with 7 medals overall. Neeraj Chopra has been given the honor of being Indian Teams Flag Bearer at the closing ceremony!!
