On Thursday, it was a heartbreaking moment for every Indian Olympic fan when India’s golden boy, due to injury, Neeraj Chopra final score was only 89.45 meters, which put him in 2nd place, and won a silver medal for India at the Paris Olympics 2024. He lost the gold medal to his Pakistani rival, Arshad Nadeem in the javelin throw final, ultimately settling for the silver medal. On the 13th day of the Paris Olympics 2024, as athletic events were gearing up to their complete momentum, India’s hopes were pinned on the 26-year-old Neeraj Chopra.
Key Takeaways:
- In Paris, Neeraj Chopra won silver with an actual best time of 89.45 meters.
- Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan threw a gold medal-winning 92.97-meter Olympic record.
- Neeraj Chopra Final Score: X, 89.45, X, X, X, X
Despite throwing his season-best 89.45m in the men’s javelin throw final, Neeraj couldn’t beat Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who set a new Olympic record (OR) with a massive throw of 92.97m. Chopra, who made history in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as the first Indian to win a gold medal in athletics events, could only make one valid throw, with the remaining 5 throws being fouls. However, his only successful throw was enough to get silver, his second medal in the Summer Olympics.
Why Neeraj Chopra Lost the Gold Medal
Neeraj Chopra bagged a silver medal in the Paris Olympics 2024 javelin throw. After missing his first throw, Neeraj didn’t sit back and delivered his season-best throw on the next attempt. With a throw of 89.45m on his second attempt, he entertained a lively Indian audience at the Stade de France. Indians were jumping with joy, but it didn’t last long.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who also missed his first chance, came with a massive throw of 92.97m, shattering all Indian dreams of another gold medal for Neeraj, who is known as India’s golden boy after winning a historic gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. It was India’s first-ever track and field gold medal, and no Indian will forget that day.
Neeraj, who could feel the weight of 1.40 billion Indian dreams on his shoulders, lost the gold medal to Arshad at this point. He may have felt the pressure, and it was visible on his face and his later javelin throw attempts. His second attempt, a throw of 89.45m, earned him the silver, as the rest of his attempts were red-flagged.
Arshad Sets Olympic Record, Dethroned Neeraj Chopra for Gold
Who is Arshad Nadeem, who defeated Neeraj Chopra? Arshad Nadeem, the 27-year-old Pakistani javelin thrower, bagged the gold medal at the Paris Olympics by breaking the 16-year-old Olympic record with his 92.79m throw. If you think it was his only best throw at the event, surprisingly, you are wrong. Arshad’s Series on Paris Olympics: X, 92.97m, 88.72m, 79.40m, 84.87m, 91.79m
After his second throw itself, it was clear that Arshad was going home with the gold. But he went on to break the Olympic record twice on Thursday. After the gold medal-winning 92.79m second throw, Arshad’s next best throw came right in his 6th and last attempt at 91.79m. It was enough to push India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra to second place and Grenada’s Anderson Peters to third.
What Is Neeraj’s Best Throw?
Neeraj Chopra’s best throw at the Tokyo Olympics was 87.58m. This marked the beginning of his eventful career in the javelin throw. No Indian will ever forget August 7, 2020, the day, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold. At the age of 23, he also became only the second Indian, after shooter Abhinav Bindra (Beijing, 2008), to win a gold medal at an individual event at the Summer Olympics.
However, Neeraj’s best throw is 89.94m, achieved during the Stockholm Diamond League on June 30, 2022. This is his personal best and also India’s national record in men’s javelin throw. Neeraj Chopra’s second and third-best throws are 89.45m and 89.34m, recorded during the Paris Olympics 2024 final and qualification events, respectively. His achievement of 2 consecutive medals at the Olympics made him the most successful Indian Olympian.
