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Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra creates history; becomes first Indian athlete to break world record at U-20 World Championship in Poland
On Saturday, Chopra outperformed himself and broke his personal best record of 82.23 set at the South Asian Games earlier this year, which, incidentally, was also the national record for Javelin throw.
July 24: Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to become a world Champion at any level, after he won a gold medal at the U-20 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Saturday. 18-year-old Chopra created a new world record by throwing the javelin a distance of 86.48m. He broke the old world record of 84.69 metres held by Latvian Zigismunds Sirmais by nearly two metres, breaking the national and the world records.
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Chopra hails from Khandra village in Haryana’s Panipat district. On Saturday, he outperformed himself and broke his personal best record of 82.23 set at the South Asian Games earlier this year, which, incidentally, was also the national record for Javelin throw. Speaking to the Indian Express after his world record performance, Chopra said, “When the spear left my hand on that second throw, I had a feeling that this was a special throw. I don’t think I expected it to go over 86 meters but since the last couple of months, I have worked hard on my fitness, my technique and it all paid off today.” ALSO READ: Asian Athletics Grand Prix: Javeline thrower Rajinder Singh hospitalised in Bangkok
Chopra had qualified for the Championship in first position threw the javelin to a mark of 79.66 in his first attempt. This attempt in itself would have been enough to secure the second position for him, behind South Africa’s Johan Grobler who flung the javelin 80.59m in his first attempt. However, in his next attempt, he hurled the record breaking throw of 86.48m, which set the bar too high for any of his competitors to reach. In his final attempt, he threw a modest 78.36m, already having etched his name in history. Chopra’s massive win, makes him the eighth best thrower this year.
Neeraj Chopra, javelin thrower, with an effort of 86.48m, has set a new world to win a gold medal at the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Meet.
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 24, 2016
This is the first World record by an Indian in athletics.
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 24, 2016
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