Neeraj Chopra scripts history, wins World Athletics Championships gold with incredible 88.17 throw in javelin final

Budapest : When it comes to Javelin throw, India has a superstar player Neeraj Chopra. In a latest, he scripted history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win World Athletics Championships gold medal during the men's javelin throw final event in Budapest. In his second attempt at the finals, he threw javelin to a distance of 88.17 meters, which remained the highest in the event.

However, things were not as easy it seemed in the end. During the start, Neeraj was seen struggling to get the desired length of throw. He started his throw by reaching a distance of just 79 mt. He was not very happy with it; and took his best in the second attempt. He was so confident about the throw that he was seen celebrating even before the javelin landed on ground.

Chopra's competitor from Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem finished second as he finished marginally behind the Indian gold medallist at 87.82m. The Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch took the bronze in 86.67m.

The remaining pair of Indian javelin throwers in the competition, namely Kishore Jena and DP Manu, showcased remarkable displays despite not managing to claim positions on the podium. Both athletes successfully advanced to the top 8 positions, achieving fifth and sixth place finishes respectively. Jena achieved the longest recorded throw, reaching 84.77 meters, which also marked a personal best for him. On the other hand, Manu's throw reached a distance of 84.14 meters.

Neeraj Chopra, who currently holds the top spot in the javelin world rankings, secured the Olympic gold during the 2020 Tokyo Games. However, he earned a silver medal at the global championships in Eugene the previous year, with the gold being claimed by Anderson Peters. Another Indian athlete who achieved world championship success was Anju Bobby George, who captured a bronze medal in the women's long jump event back in 2003 in Paris.