[In pictures] Neeraj Chopra at Paris Olympics 2024: A tale of grit, resilience and undying belief resulting in a silver 

On Thursday, August 8, at the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj Chopra created history by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to win back-to-back medals at the Games. His remarkable achievement also placed him among an elite group of Indians, becoming only the third athlete from the country to secure consecutive individual Olympic medals.

During the final at the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj managed just one valid throw out of six. However, his second attempt, his only valid throw, was a mammoth 89.45 meters, enough to help him clinch the silver medal. The gold went to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters took home the bronze.

Here are several pictures of Neeraj Chopra in action during his competition along with moments of him celebrating his victory alongside Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Grenada’s Anderson Peters.

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A look back at Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Neeraj Chopra’s debut at the Olympics is also the crowning moment of his career so far.

Heading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj was not widely regarded as a top contender for a medal. However, he defied all expectations with a stunning gold medal-winning performance that propelled him into stardom, making him a national hero.

In the qualifying round, Neeraj started with a throw of 86.65 meters, topping the field with ease. In the final, he opened with an impressive 87.03 meters and then surpassed it with a second throw of 87.58 meters. This performance saw him secure the gold medal.

His first throw of 87.03 m would have also won him the gold, as his closest competitors, Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely, who took silver and bronze, respectively, only managed 86.67 meters and 85.44 meters. This victory also made him the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in athletics.

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