Neeraj Chopra's top five career best throws in men's javelin

The 26-year old is one of the most decorated athlete in India.

There is a sense of bated anticipation in the hearts of Indians whenever Neeraj Chopra lines up to hurl his javelin. The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist has been on song since his triumph, constantly pushing the boundaries by breaking his personal bests and barging into the record books.

The 24-year-old from Haryana is the first Indian to win an Olympic track and field medal and also became the first Indian to win a silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon. India’s last World Championships medal was Anju Bobby George’s bronze in 2003. Chopra is the holder of the Indian national javelin throw record since 2016.

Here are his top-five longest throws:

2022 Stockholm Diamond League: 89.94m (NR)

Neeraj Chopra shattered the national record for the second time in a month with his 89.94m effort in the Stockholm Diamond League. Chopra’s throw in June 2022 was just six centimetres shy of the 90m mark, which he is confident of breaching. So far, this is his personal best. Grenadian Anderson Peters took gold with a Meeting Record breaking throw of 90.31m.

2024 Paris Olympic Games 2024: 89.34m

Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra has made a strong start in his bid to defend his Olympic title at the Paris 2024 Games. In the men’s javelin throw qualification round, Chopra easily secured his place in the final with an impressive first throw.

Competing at the Stade de France, Chopra launched the javelin 89.34 meters on his opening attempt. This distance far exceeded the 84-meter mark required for direct qualification to the final. It also stands as the second-longest throw in Chopra’s competitive career

2022 Paavo Nurmi Games Finland: 89.30m

Two weeks before his exploits in Sweden, Neeraj Chopra took part in the Paavo Nurmi Games and managed a throw of 89.30m, a national record and his personal best at that time. This effort was enough to earn him a silver medal, finishing behind Finland’s Oliver Helander. The home favourite topped the charts with a throw of 89.93m.

Athletissima, Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, 2022: 89.08m

Prior to the Diamond League 2022 final, Neeraj Chopra won his first Diamond League title in Lausanne, Switzerland registering 89.08m. In two weeks time, he once again created a new record by becoming the first Indian to win the Diamond League final title in Javelin Throw ahead of arch rivals Anderson Peters and Jakub Vadlejch.

Diamond League Meeting 2023, Doha: 88.67m

Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra started the 2023 season on a great note by winning the Doha Diamond League 2023 with a best throw of 88.67m. India’s poster boy finished ahead of World Champion Anderson Peters and Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch. Neeraj Chopra achieved the WL in his first attempt (replacing Jakub Vadlejch’s 88.38m).

World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022: 88.39m

Neeraj Chopra often needs only one attempt to break the qualifying mark and displayed this at Hayward Field in Eugene, where he comfortably crossed the 83.50m cut-off with a throw of 88.39m. He had failed to qualify to the final round in his 2017 Worlds debut in London but his throw in Oregon will give him complete confidence in how rapidly he has progressed since then.

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