The game of Bolt vs Neeraj has been a thrilling one for the nation. Let’s face it, we all love track and field. It’s the one sport in which you can witness incredible athletic feats time and again. But there is only one who can break your heart with his victory, and that is Usain Bolt. 

Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been described as the Indian version of Jamaican sprinter Bolt. The comparison is apt because both had to rise from humble beginnings to achieve world-class standards in their respective sports. However, while Bolt was the undisputed king of track and field during his era, Chopras success has led to a new era in Indian throwing events — an era in which Neeraja has replaced him as king of javelin throwers. Lets take a look at how he did it

 

credit pixabay

Neeraj Chopra: The Indian Olympic Gold Medallist Who Has Displaced Usain Bolt

The game of Bolt vs Neeraj has been a thrilling one for the nation. Let’s face it, we all love track and field. It’s the one sport in which you can witness incredible athletic feats time and again. But there is only one who can break your heart with his victory, and that is Usain Bolt. Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been described as the Indian version of Jamaican sprinter Bolt. The comparison is apt because both had to rise from humble beginnings to achieve world-class standards in their respective sports. However, while Bolt was the undisputed king of track and field during his era, Chopras success has led to a new era in Indian throwing events — an era in which Neeraja has replaced him as king of javelin throwers. Lets take a look at how he did it

How did Chopra become a world-class javelin thrower?

Neeraj Chopra was always adamant about becoming a javelin thrower. He was initially encouraged to take up the sport by his brother, who was a javelin thrower himself. Neeraj, however, didn’t start off well. It wasn’t until he joined the Army that he changed his focus to javelin throw. Neeraj was selected in Indian Army’s ‘Project Impetus’ initiative in 2016. He was one of the four javelin throwers in the country who were selected through this initiative. He was then sent to Germany where he was trained under world-class javelin throwers. On his return, he started attending national events, where he would excel.

Chopra to the 2016 Olympics: From a journey of years

Neeraj’s journey towards a medal at the 2016 Olympics has been a long one. Back in 2014, he had finished fifth in the Asian Games. However, this did not deter him, and he set out to achieve his dream through hard work and a little bit of luck. In 2015, he had won the gold medal at the National Open Athletics Championship in Ahmedabad. He had also bagged two gold medals at the 2015 National Inter-State Championship, held at Shillong. In 2016, Chopra finally achieved his dream of representing India at the Olympics. His performance at the Olympics was impressive with him finishing in the top-15.

The Indian to New Heights: 2017–22

After the success at the Olympics, Neeraj started focusing more on the World Championships. He was selected for the World Championships in Valencia, Spain. Chopra had his season-best performance at the competition, where he had thrown an effort of 76.56m. He also achieved silver medals at the Asian Championships and the Asian Games. Both the competitions were held in Chinese cities. Neeraj then threw his javelin beyond 82.20m at the 2017 National Open Athletics Championship in Bengaluru, which is currently a world-class effort. This is when we started seeing Neeraj in the headlines for his impressive performances.

Chopra’s rise to fame: From 2018–26

His rise to fame from 2018 onwards has been meteoric. In 2018, Neeraj won his first gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. His second gold medal came at the Asian Championships in 2019, where he also set an Asian record. In the same year, Neeraj broke the Asian record four times at the Asian Championships. He had also achieved the feat of breaking the world record in the javelin throw at the National Open Athletics Championship in 2019. His performances at the World Championships in Poland got him more recognition. In the finals, Neeraj threw more than 90m which is currently a world record. This is when we started seeing Neeraj in the headlines for his impressive performances.

Chopra to the top: From 2018–29

His rise to fame from 2018 onwards has been meteoric. In 2018, Neeraj won his first gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. His second gold medal came at the Asian Championships in 2019, where he also set an Asian record. In the same year, Neeraj broke the Asian record four times at the Asian Championships. He had also achieved the feat of breaking the world record in the javelin throw at the National Open Athletics Championship in 2019. His performances at the World Championships in Poland got him more recognition. In the finals, Neeraj threw more than 90m which is currently a world record. This is when we started seeing Neeraj in the headlines for his impressive performances.

Neeraj Chopra as per today: Where lies his future?

Neeraj Chopra is currently one of the best javelin throwers in the world. He has broken many world records and has secured many medals in international events. He has also been named in the 2019 World Championships in Berlin as a starter. His success in the javelin throw has been phenomenal. Since 2016, Neeraj has matured as a javelin thrower and has shown great improvement in his performances. He has also shown great resilience in overcoming injuries and setbacks. In the future, Neeraj will continue to break world records and will also challenge for the Olympics. He has great potential and is a young athlete who can lead javelin throwers in the future.