Neeraj Chopra won the men’s javelin on Saturday – with a best throw of 87.58 metres to claim an historic first Olympic athletics gold medal for India.
Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who claimed silver with 86.67 metres and Vitezslav Vesely won bronze with 85.44.
Chopra seized the lead with a throw of 87.03 on his first attempt, a distance no other competitor achieved during the final, winning India’s first gold of the Tokyo Games.
“It feels unbelievable,” said Chopra. “This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time, and in athletics it is the first time we have gold, so it’s a proud moment for me and my country.
“In the qualification round I threw very well so I knew I could do better in the final. I didn’t know it would be gold but I am very happy,” he added.
On Twitter, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his reaction to the historic win, including that he spoke to Chopra to personally congratulate him.
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. #Tokyo2020 https://t.co/2NcGgJvfMS
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2021
Just spoke to @Neeraj_chopra1 and congratulated him on winning the Gold! Appreciated his hardwork and tenacity, which have been on full display during #Tokyo2020. He personifies the best of sporting talent and sportsman spirit. Best wishes for his future endeavours.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2021
Chopra is now the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal after Abhinav Bindra won the 10-metre air rifle event at the 2008 Games.
“Your performance has further elevated what has been evident throughout the Games — that our athletes are not only capable of going toe to toe with the best, but are firmly establishing ourselves as the favorites,” Bindra wrote on Twitter.
“Our first individual gold might have taken over a century to come, but the comparatively miniscule time taken for you to bring home the second is a solid indication that we, as a sporting nation, are on the rise,” he added.
