Neeraj Chopra, the silver medallist from India, was seen celebrating with fans following the men’s javelin throw final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
On August 9, 2024, Chopra reflected on his performance, acknowledging that while he gave his utmost effort, it was ultimately Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem who triumphed with the gold medal. He emphasized the importance of evaluating his performance and making necessary improvements moving forward. “Winning a medal for our country always brings joy. Now, we must focus on enhancing our skills. We will convene to discuss how to elevate our performance,” Chopra stated in an interview with ANI.
Chopra noted the fierce competition, remarking that every athlete has their moment of success. “Today belonged to Arshad. I performed to the best of my abilities, but there are aspects that require attention and refinement.” He expressed optimism regarding India’s future in the Olympics, asserting, “India performed admirably at the Paris Olympics. Although our national anthem was not played today, it will resonate in the future.” Chopra secured the silver medal with a top throw of 89.45 meters, achieved on his second attempt, although four consecutive fouls limited his chances of claiming the gold.
Arshad Nadeem claims the gold medal, while Neeraj Chopra takes home the silver. With this achievement, Chopra has become the second male athlete since independence to secure two Olympic medals in an individual discipline. Nadeem of Pakistan triumphed with a remarkable throw of 92.97 meters, establishing a new Olympic record that surpassed the previous mark set by Denmark’s Andreas Thorkildsen during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters earned the bronze medal with a throw measuring 88.54 meters. Earlier in the competition, Chopra recorded a throw of 89.34 meters in the Group B qualification round, marking his second-best performance to date. Although Chopra had maintained a dominant 9-0 record against Nadeem in their previous encounters, Nadeem’s throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games surpassed Chopra’s best throw.