Neeraj Chopra wins gold at Asian Games 2023 and defends his title, Kishore Jena finishes a close second to clinch silver medal

The men's javelin throw final at the 2023 Asian Games was a dramatic one for Neeraj Chopra as he had to endure technical issues en route to an emphatic gold medal in Hangzhou, China, on Wednesday, October 4.

The event started on an infuriating note for Neeraj as there was a delay after he made his first attempt. The scorecard failed to update the distance achieved by him, even as another athlete made his throw. Though his javelin landed beyond the 85m mark, the actual distance could not be ascertained.

There was a technical issue with the scoring system and officials were called onto the field to check it. Neeraj was eventually asked to retake his first throw and he registered an 82.38m effort, which put him in the lead. With his second attempt, he bettered his mark by clocking 84.49m.

With his third attempt not up to his high standards, Neeraj chose to walk over the line and register a foul. It was at this point that his compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena clocked a massive 86.77m in his third attempt.

The Olympic champion, however, came roaring back and saw his fourth attempt hit the 88.88m mark, a season's best for the world champion that saw him go back to the top of the standings.

Though Kishore improved in his fourth attempt to 87.54m, it wasn't enough to trouble Neeraj, whose final attempts were 80.80m and a no-throw. Kishore likewise, did not improve with his final attempts but it did not matter in the end as they gave India a historic 1-2 finish in the javelin throw at the Asian Games.

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Kishore Kumar Jena qualifies for 2024 Paris Olympics

The silver medal was not the only thing Kishore Kumar Jena secured at the 2023 Asian Games, as his third attempt of 86.77m saw him qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The qualification mark for the Olympics is set at 85.50m. Incidentally, it was also a new personal best for Kishore, surpassing the 84.77m he had achieved at the World Championships in Budapest last month.

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READ: Neeraj Chopra's top 5 javelin throws ft. Diamond League & World Athletics Championships