Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra falls short of Gold to get Silver; Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem's 92.97m secures top spot

While Neeraj Chopra is not entirely satisfied with his performance in the men's Javelin Throw final at the Paris Olympics 2024, he secured the silver medal with a throw of 89.45m on his second attempt at the Stade de France in Paris. This is India's first silver medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97m to win the gold medal. 

ALSO READ | Best farewell for PR Sreejesh! Team India wins Bronze Medal, defeats Spain 2-1 in Paris Olympics 2024

The record for the best throw in an Olympic final was held by Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen, who set it in 2008 during the Beijing Olympics with a throw of 90.57 meters. Twice throughout the competition, Nadeem exceeded this threshold as he also threw 91.79 meters on his last try. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Nadeem had already surpassed the 90-meter mark. Grenada's two-time world champion Anderson Peters (personal best 93.07m) peaked at the right moment to win the bronze medal with a throw of 88.54m.

PM Narendra Modi posted a tweet about him stating how Neeraj will "continue to motivate countless upcoming athletes".

Fans flooded X (formerly known as Twitter) to praise the Indian for clinching the silver medal and making millions of Indians happy.

Neeraj Chopra's Road to Silver:

Everyone thought the 26-year-old would be on the podium after he threw an 89.34-meter throw in the qualification round, but it appeared that the weight of the gold would eventually catch up to him. Except for his 89.45 meters, none of his previous throws were recorded as he either stepped on the line deliberately or lost his balance. 

Manu Bhaker (two bronze medals), wrestler Sushil Kumar (silver, bronze), and shuttler PV Sindhu (silver, bronze) are the only three Indians to have won multiple medals at the Olympics.

Talking about group events, the Indian men's hockey team also clinched back-to-back bronze medals marking the first time in 52 years that India has achieved this feat. The last time India won back-to-back hockey medals at the Olympics was in 1968 and 1972.

Enjoy 35+ OTTs like ZEE5, LionsgatePlay, Ullu, SunNXT, SonyLIV, Fancode and 250+ Live TV channels at just ₹99