The Legacy of Neeraj Chopra - The Journey Of India’s Golden Boy From Tokyo To The 2024 Paris Olympics

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics witnessed India’s best-ever run in the summer Olympic Games. However, the highlight of the event turned out to be the then 23-year-old javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra. The Indian athlete dominated the javelin championship, registering his best throw at 87.58 metres. As the event unfolded, Chopra’s record trumped all, eventually earning him a gold medal. The golden win unlocked ecstasy and celebrations across the country, and rightfully so. Chopra’s gold was India’s second Olympic gold after Abhinav Bindra’s triumph in rifle shooting at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Furthermore, the 23-year-old became the nation’s first-ever track-and-field athlete to bag a gold medal at the marquee event. A gold medal at the Olympics is the highest accolade an athlete can earn for their skills and talent. For Neeraj Chopra, achieving this feat didn’t mean a slack in refining his game. The athlete has secured a place in the top 3 in every championship he has participated in since 2021. With a norm-defying form that has gone from strength to strength, Neeraj Chopra will take on the 2024 Paris Olympics as India’s favorite for a gold medal.

1.The Making of India's Golden Boy

Now deemed India’s golden boy, Neeraj Chopra was born in Panipat, Haryana. Chopra’s venture into sports happened at the push of his family, who wanted their overweight child to move towards a healthy lifestyle. Eventually, Neeraj Chopra was introduced to javelin at a young age, where he swiftly identified his natural inclination towards the sport. The family supported Chopra to pursue javelin throw professionally and refine his skills for the national level.

2.Neeraj Chopra Before The 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Chopra’s initial success in javelin came in 2016 when he won a gold at the South Asian Games. Though highlighted now, Chopra has always been one to build on his achievements. The athlete won consecutive golds at various events after his 2016 breakout performance. Chopra bagged a gold at the Asian Championship in 2017 before moving towards a notable win in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The win made Chopra the first-ever Indian to win a gold medal in javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games.

Taking his title of “first-ever gold winner” quite seriously, Chopra repeated the heroics in the 2018 Asian Games.Then came Chopra’s historic performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. By 2021, Chopra had become confident in his skill. That explains why he celebrated his throw even before the javelin hit the ground. Like a prophecy, his throw of 87.58 meters proved too far to beat. Consequently, India earned its first-ever track-and-field gold medal. The Olympics win catapulted Chopra into the public eye, with every nook and corner of the nation reverberating with his name.

However, being the disciplined athlete with a liking for being at the peak always, Chopra continued his golden streak at different championships even after 2021.

3.The Winning Streak of Neeraj Chopra From Tokyo To The 2024 Paris Olympics

In 2022, Neeraj Chopra topped another record by winning a gold at the prestigious Diamond League. Setting up a platform for the Diamond League final, Chopra first triumphed at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne. The athlete registered his best throw at 89.08 meters. The throw was more than enough for Chopra to land his place in the Diamond League Final as well as the World Athletics Championships in 2023. In September of the same year, Chopra, as expected, won the Diamond League Final in Zurich. Adding another feather to his already embellished hat, Chopra became the first Indian to clinch the Diamond League Trophy. His performance in the championship involved a throw of 88.44 meters. The star athlete wrapped his 2022 season with a silver medal at the World Championships in the USA with an 88.13-meter throw.

In 2023, Chopra went on to win first place in the Doha Diamond League before a stellar performance in the World Athletics Championships. A silver at the 2022 World Athletics Championships didn’t seem satiating enough for the golden boy. Thus, the following year, Chopra laid claim to the gold, earning his rightful title as the first-ever Indian to win a gold at the event. Chopra topped the javelin chart in Budapest with an 88.17-meter throw. Going into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chopra has nearly doubled his medal tally since 2021.

4.Every Win of Neeraj Chopra Since The 2021 Tokyo Olympics

2022

2023

2024

India’s favourite athlete is coming to Paris Olympics after winning gold medals at notable championships like the IAAF World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2023. Now, Chopra’s win at the forthcoming Olympic Games will be a rule and not the exception, defying the earlier set precedents for the Indian contingent.