PV Sindhu greets Neeraj Chopra with a heartwarming message as the Indian javelin star claims his second Olympic medal at Paris 2024
Veteran badminton star PV Sindhu extended her heartfelt congratulations to Neeraj Chopra after his remarkable silver-medal win in the men’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday (August 8). Sindhu welcomed Neeraj into an exclusive group of Indian athletes who have achieved the rare feat of winning multiple Olympic medals in individual events.
"Welcome Neeraj!!! This is a special club. No better person to be on here than you," wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Before Neeraj Chopra’s latest achievement, this prestigious club had only four members: Norman Pritchard, Sushil Kumar, PV Sindhu herself, and the newest addition, Manu Bhaker. Neeraj’s silver in Paris, his second consecutive Olympic medal after his historic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, added him to this elite list.
Neeraj Chopra’s journey to this silver medal was nothing short of dramatic. Entering the Paris Olympics as the reigning world and Olympic champion, he carried the weight of high expectations on his shoulders.
His qualification-round performance was extraordinary, as he led the field of 32 athletes with a formidable throw of 89.34 meters. This throw had fans and experts alike hoping for yet another gold medal from the javelin star.
However, the final event proved challenging for Neeraj Chopra. His first throw ended in a foul, setting a tense tone for the competition. While five of his six attempts fell short, the highlight of his performance came with a stunning second throw of 89.45 meters— his best of the season. This impressive throw, despite being overshadowed by some missteps, secured him a place on the podium once again.
Neeraj Chopra joins an elusive list with a silver at the Paris Olympics 2024
By winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics and securing silver at the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj became a part of an elusive list of athletes to have claimed two Olympic medals. Norman Pritchard made history as India’s first Olympic medalist, securing two silver medals in athletics at the 1900 Paris Olympics.
He was followed by Sushil Kumar who won bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver at London 2012, becoming the first Indian to earn multiple Olympic medals post-independence.
PV Sindhu herself became a part of this list with silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first Indian woman to win multiple Olympic medals. Indian shooting sensation Manu Bhaker clinched two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics 2024 to make her name on this illustrious list.