'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Neeraj Chopra won the elusive gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday, August 27. The Olympic gold medallist's second-round throw of 88.17m was enough to finish at the top of the podium.
The World Championships title was something missing from his already embellished CV, which included a gold in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and twice in the Diamond League.
However, Chopra's 88.17m was his eighth-best throw individually in the men's javelin overall, and third-best this year. Let's check at the five best throws recorded by the 25-year-old up to this point.
5 best throws from Neeraj Chopra in his Javelin career
#5 88.67m, Doha Diamond League 2023, Qatar
Trending
It was Chopra's first throw of the event and the ace Indian javelin thrower left no stone unturned to record the highest throw of that day and start 2023 on a remarkable note.
Chopra threw it as far as 88.67m to clinch a successive gold in the Diamond League. His remaining five throws read as 86.04, 85.47, X, 84.37 and 86.52.
Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch gave Chopra a tough contest with some nearly imposing throws of 88.63m and 88.47m. Nevertheless, the Indian took the gold home after Valdejch couldn't surpass his mark.
#4 88.77m, World Athletics Championships 2023, Budapest
Neeraj Chopra topped the men's javelin throw qualifying round in the World Athletics Championships 2023 to secure a direct entry into the final. Once again the first throw made the abuzz after the Olympic gold medallist recorded his season's best throw at 88.77m.
The automatic qualification mark was 83.00m and Chopra cleared it in his first attempt itself and wasn't required to throw for the remaining two chances.
In fact, Neeraj Chopra was the only athlete from Group A to throw beyond the 83-meter mark, and overall the third along with Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem and Vadlejch.
#3 89.08m, Lausanne Diamond League 2022, Lausanne
Chopra became the first Indian to clinch the Diamond League Meet title in August 2022. It was the Indian athlete's comeback after recovering from a minor groin injury that forced him to miss the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He hurled the javelin at 89.08m long in his very first attempt to eventually clinch the gold.
Neeraj Chopra's remaining throws in the event were recorded as 85.18m, foul, and 80.04m. Before his achievement, discuss-thrower Vikas Gowda was the only Indian to finish in the top three at the Diamond League.
#2 89.30m, Paavo Nurmi Games 2022, Turku
Neeraj Chopra went past his own national record of 88.07m from March 2021 at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2022. It was his first appearance on the field after his historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
It was a resounding return with a personal best throw of 89.30m in the continental event in Turku, Finland.
#1 89.94m, Stockholm Diamond League 2022, Stockholm
Neeraj Chopra broke his national record yet again with an astounding throw of 89.94m in the Stockholm Diamond League in July 2022. He was just six centimeters short of achieving his dream 90-meter mark.
Although his first throw of 89.94m garnered attention across the globe, that didn't guarantee Chopra a first-place finish with Grenada's Anderson Peters breaching his national record with a sky-high throw of 90.31m in his third attempt.
Neeraj Chopra, however, was contended with his personal milestone even though he missed the title and was keen to accomplish the 90m record.
