you have the possibility to publish an article related to the theme of this page, and / or to this region:
Great Britain - -An information and promotions platform.
Links the content with your website for free.
Great Britain - Web content about Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra had an unusual evening by his standards: only one successful throw out of six attempts.
However, that one throw was enough to win him the Olympic silver medal and further solidify his status in Indian sports, making him just the fourth Indian to win multiple Olympic medals in individual sports.
Despite this achievement, Neeraj was not happy.
It was an Olympic silver medal, yet there was barely a hint of a smile or satisfaction on his face.
Even his friend on the circuit, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who beat him to the gold with two exceptional throws, received an uncharacteristically cold shoulder from Neeraj.
This reaction indicated the high standards Neeraj has set for himself—who would have thought three years ago that a second consecutive medal, this time a silver, would feel like it was not enough?It was that kind of night for Neeraj at the Stade de France, where he just could not find his rhythm.
The competition was intense—there were eight throws better than Neeraj's gold-medal-winning throw of 87.
58m from Tokyo.
He seemed particularly unsettled by Nadeem's second throw of 92.
97m, an Olympic record by a significant margin.
This was unfamiliar territory for Neeraj, who usually leads from the front, and he needed to respond.
Respond he did, with his own impressive throw, the second-best of his career: 89.
45m.
Yet, Neeraj still looked unsatisfied.
He gestured to the crowd as if to say, 'Hold on, there's more to come.
' But there wasn't.
His next three attempts were fouls, which was unusual for him.
This brought out a side of Neeraj that the world had not seen before.
He was visibly upset, the frustration evident on his face.
He screamed at himself, ripped off the belt from his waist, and grabbed his jacket in anger—emotions not typically associated with him during competitions.
With one final throw left, Neeraj paced around the runway.
Hands on his hips, he walked to the turf and stared into the distance, perhaps setting a marker on where he wanted the javelin to land.
But it just did not happen—for someone who could produce clutch throws on demand, it just didn't click that Thursday.
The last throw was also a foul, and Neeraj let out a frustrated scream before sitting down on the bench.
When he looks back, though, he will appreciate what he has achieved here.
Not merely winning a second Olympic medal, but also the context around it.
2024 was a year of learning for him, a year where he competed in only three events leading up to Paris, fewer than he would have liked.
The groin injury that troubled him in 2023 and forced him to miss the Commonwealth Games came back to haunt him this May when he felt discomfort in his adductor.
He made a tough decision at the time to skip competitions and focus on his health.
'I could have competed in more events for sure, and that was the plan, but I have realized that my health is paramount, that comes first.
Even if I feel the slightest discomfort or like I am pushing myself too much in training, I've learned to pause for a bit,' he said last month.
This is not something the pre-Tokyo Neeraj would have done.
But now, three years and one Olympic medal wiser, he was able to focus on what was important: feeling 100%, both mentally and physically.
He came to Paris after tuning out all the noise and focusing solely on himself.
He did everything in his capacity: cut out distractions, healed his body, and charged his mind.
Yet, he was second-best on the night he wanted to be number one.
But that's the thing—Neeraj might be disappointed with a silver medal, but he is still the gold standard for Indian sports.