India has not had as successful a campaign at the Paris Olympics as it had four years back in Tokyo with Neeraj Chopra winning a gold as well. India secured 7 medals in the games, which is the nation’s most successful campaign, with 2 silvers and 4 bronze medals and an Olympic gold medal from the unstoppable Neeraj Chopra.
Neeraj Chopra has been in the buzz since 2016 when he won the junior division world championship; following him came several opportunities, fame, and also immense media attention. However, all went cold after a few days, though Neeraj did not seem the athlete who could give up his passion for the game only for offered government jobs.
After that, he struggled but remained determined, and his efforts paid out loud. Let’s take a look at all the medals won by Neeraj Chopra aside from his triumph in the Tokyo Olympics with a gold.
- 2016: He first won the World Junior Championships at age 18 and followed that with his South Asian Games glory at Shillong and Guwahati.
- 2017: Neeraj earned his first gold at the Asian Championships at Bhubaneshwar.
- 2018: Next in line were the Commonwealth Games, and the Indian javelin athlete also secured a gold in the competition, while he earned his first Asian Games medal at Jakarta that year.
- 2020: After a period of injuries, he trained rigorously for the Tokyo Olympics and went on to secure India’s first-ever gold in field athletics.
- 2022: A silver at the World Championships in Eugene, a second Asian Games gold, and a Diamond League gold medal added only greatness to Neeraj’s career.
- 2023: After a 2023 Diamond League silver, Neeraj once again bounced back to secure his first-ever gold at the World Championships.
- 2024: Neeraj will lead India’s 29-member athletics team and will defend his gold from Tokyo. Neeraj, who contested from Group B after India’s Kishore Jena faced a crushing defeat from Group A, made his first throw of 89.34, a monstrous throw that itself earned him a straight entry into the finals to defend his gold medal.
He left behind A. Peters from Granada and was the second-best thrower with 88.63. Neeraj will now contest for his gold medal spot in the final event on the 8th of August.
India’s other big update is in 50kg women’s freestyle wrestling, as India’s Vinesh Phogat defeated Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Yui Susaki of Japan to enter the quarterfinals. This is itself something great that has been acquired by the Indian wrestler while she will be back in action for the semifinal round after she secured a win against Ukrainian wrestler Oksana Livach in the Quarter-final.
