Neeraj Chopra creates history in Budapest by winning India’s maiden World Championships gold medal

Neeraj Chopra scripted history yet again, winning India its first gold medal at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday.

Chopra, who won India’s maiden Olympic gold in athletics two years ago in Tokyo, finished on top in the men’s javelin throw final on Sunday with a throw of 88.17 metres in his second attempt, ending India’s four-decade wait for a maiden gold medal in the world championships since the tournament began in 1983.

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem finished second with a season-best effort of 87.82 metres while Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch won bronze with a throw of 86.67m.

India’s Kishore Jena, who nearly did not compete in the worlds after his Hungarian visa was initially rejected, finished in the top five with a personal best effort of 84.77 metres while DP Manu was sixth with a best effort of 84.14m.

This was the first time three Indians finished in the top eight in an event in the World Championships.

In other events, the Indian team of Muhammad Anas, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal and Rajesh Ramesh finished fifth in the men’s 4x400m relay finals with a timing of 2:59:92. This was the first time India qualified for the finals of the men’s 4x400m relay, with the quartet also smashing the Asian record that was previously held by Japan along the way.

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Distance runner Parul Chaudhary, meanwhile, finished 11th in the women’s 3000m steeplechase finals with a timing of 9:15:31 — a new national record. She had earlier become only the second Indian to qualify for the finals of the event after Lalita Babar in 2015.

The 25-year-old Chopra achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt. He had a foul to start with, but then got 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m.

Chopra’s unique feat

Chopra has now become only the second Indian — after legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra — to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.

88.17 Meters for