“Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver as Arshad Nadeem Sets Olympic Record at Paris Olympics”

Paris Olympics: Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver as Arshad Nadeem Sets New Olympic Record

Paris, Aug 9: Neeraj Chopra’s quest for a second consecutive Olympic gold ended with a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday night. The reigning World Champion and Diamond League winner, who had entered the final as a favorite after a stellar qualifying throw of 89.34 meters, managed a best throw of 89.45 meters in the final—a performance that, while his second-best ever, fell short of securing gold.

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Chopra’s close friend on the circuit, claimed the top spot with a record-breaking throw of 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record. Nadeem’s remarkable performance secured Pakistan’s first-ever Olympic gold in an individual event, ending the nation’s 32-year medal drought since their last bronze in men’s hockey at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Nadeem’s historic throw not only shattered the previous Olympic record set by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen (90.57 meters) in Beijing 2008, but it also placed him among the all-time greats with the sixth-best throw in history. Despite facing injuries and financial challenges, Nadeem’s triumph in Paris was a significant achievement, marking his ascent from a fourth-place finish in Tokyo to the pinnacle of Olympic glory.

Anderson Peters of Grenada took home the bronze medal with a best throw of 88.54 meters.

Chopra, who began the final with a foul, found his stride with his second attempt, which ultimately secured him the silver medal. Despite struggling with injuries over the past few years, Chopra’s silver makes him the second Indian male athlete and third overall to win medals in back-to-back Olympics, following in the footsteps of wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008, 2012) and badminton star PV Sindhu (2016, 2021).

India’s tally at the Paris Olympics now stands at five medals: one silver and four bronzes.

The event was fiercely competitive, with Germany’s Julian Weber, the Tokyo silver medalist, finishing in sixth place. Despite the high expectations placed on Chopra, the night belonged to Nadeem, whose stunning performance left the stadium in awe and secured his place in the annals of Olympic history.