Tokyo, August 7: Neeraj Chopra did one of the most difficult jobs in sports on Saturday (August 7) at the Tokyo Olympics - living up to the billing. There were several medal prospectuses in the India squad for the Olympics at the Japanese capital but none brighter than the 23-year-old Javelin thrower from Haryana.
The whole nation waited anxiously for him to enter the field. A nation was haunted by the near-misses in the past by PT Usha and the late Milkha Singh, and Neeraj was expected to atone for all that. Tough for a youngster who turn to javelin as a mean to shed that extra flab.
So, how did he win the javelin gold in Tokyo Olympics: Here's the MyKhel lowdown!
1. Top throw in Javelin qualifier
Neeraj gave indications of what is in the store when he hurled the javelin over 86M to emerge the top man in the Qualification rounds. If anything, the throw only intensified the expectations and hopes on him.
2. Javelin Final: 1st throw of Neeraj
The Indian gave his everything in the first throw itself, and did not wait to build momentum as the other athletes did. The result was a monstrous 87.03M effort. It immediately put Neeraj in the gold medal position.
3. Javelin Final: 2nd throw of Neeraj
The lanky Indian has not finished yet. He bettered his first throw with an even more beast-mode effort of 87.58M. In those two throws, Neeraj left the field way behind him as everyone else left to do a tough catching-up job. In fact, Neeraj had three under 80M throws in the final but it hardly mattered.
4. Opponents from Germany and Czech Republic
Germans and Czechs are the traditional powerhouses in javelin throw. But favourite Johannes Vetter, who has seven 90M or more throws to his sheet, failed to make even a flutter and, in fact, the German did not qualify for the round of final 8. Czech man Jakub Vadlejch (86.67M) tried gamely but his best was not enough to dethrone Neeraj on the day. His compatriot Vitezslav Vesely (85.44) took the silver ahead Pakistan javelin thrower.