Neeraj Chopra creates history, becomes first Indian ever to win silver at World Athletics Championships

While a nation was asleep, the reigning Olympic champion created history after becoming the first ever Indian athlete to win a silver at the World athletics championships with his best effort of 88.13m on early Sunday morning (India time) to etch his name in the record books. He, however, failed in his endeavour to become the first javelin thrower after Norwegian track and field great Andreas Thorkildsen to hold both the Olympics and World Championships titles at the same time. Thorkildsen had achieved the feat at the Berlin edition of the Worlds meet.

However, it was Grenadian Anderson Peters who took away the honours after effortlessly throwing the spear to a 90m mark thrice to clinch the gold. Anderson, the reigning World champion, saved the best for his last, launching the spear to a distance of 90.54m in his sixth and final attempt. Before coming to the Worlds, he had a personal best of 93.07m at the Doha Diamond League. In the final, Anderson had a series of 90.21m, 90.46m, 87.21m, 88.11m, 85.83m, 90.54m.

Neeraj had fouled his first attempt after stepping over the scratch line and had them come up with a below-par effort of 82.39m in his second. He improved it further to 86.37m in his next attempt but was still out of the medal contention at the fourth place in the 12-man final. The reigning CWG and Asian Games champion calmed down his frayed nerves and threw the spear to a distance of 88.13m to move into second position behind Anderson. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, Jakub Vadlejch from Czech Republic who was in the race for a silver-finish before Neeraj’s 88.13m effort dislodged him to the third, came up with an 83.48m in his fourth attempt to drop down the pack. His best throw till then was an 88.09m. Neeraj