Neeraj Chopra was an ordinary track and field athlete who immediately rose to fame after clinched a gold medal at the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World U20 Championships 2016. Neeraj Chopra was born on December 24, 1997, in Panipat, Haryana and is celebrating his 27th birthday. Another breakthrough happened after winning a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and securing his position as a top athlete and India's Golden Boy. Winning a gold medal and that too at the Olympics was a big achievement for Neeraj Chopra and India. Year Ender 2024: Paris Olympics Rewind - India's Success Stories In Manu Bhaker, Harmanpreet Singh and Co, Neeraj Chopra and Aman Sehrawat.

Neeraj Chopra faced a setback after losing after he failed to defend his gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. He finished second after Arshad Nadeem secured the top spot with a massive Olympic Record throw of 92.97m. Chopra finished in the second spot after an 89.45m throw. Neeraj also came very close to breaking his personal best at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With this, Neeraj Chopra helped to lay a foundation for young athletes. This can lead to more competitors representing India on the international stage for track and field.

Unforgettable Moments from Neeraj Chopra's Career

First International Medal: At 17 years of age Neeraj Chopra won his first-ever international medal after he secured a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games qualification 2014 in Bangkok. But even before that Chopra became the under-16 national champion in Javelin by 2012 and in the next few years he went on to win some more medals.

First International Gold Medal: 2016 was a big year for Neeraj Chopra as he won gold medals at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, the South Asian Games in Guwahati, Assam and at the Grand Prix in Lokeren, Belgium. With this, he was now known to a lot of people at the world level. His final throw at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz was 86.48m which also set an under-20 record. At the Asian Athletics Championships 2017 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha Chopra secured first place. India’s Javelin Star Neeraj Chopra’s Paris Olympics 2024 T-Shirt Inducted Into World Athletics Heritage Collection.

Job at Indian Army: After Neeraj Chopra turned 19, he was offered a job in the Indian Army as a junior commission officer. Chopra secured this job after his achievements in track and field for India all over the world. Neeraj Chopra once also mentioned that he was facing some difficulties in supporting the family as he was the son of a farmer. It was a big relief for Neeraj Chopra and his family after he secured a job in the Indian Army.

Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 Gold Medal: Neeraj Chopra stunned the world after winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The multisport mega-event took place in 2021 due to COVID-19. In the qualification round, Chopra came up with a strong throw of 86.65m. But he eventually secured a gold medal with a throw of 87.58m in the final. This also made him the first athlete to win the first-ever gold medal for India in track and field and also the nation's second individual Olympic gold medallist.

Personal and National Record: Neeraj Chopra recorded a career-best throw of 89.94m at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022. With almost hitting the 90-metre mark, Chopra marked his personal best and the national record. During the Zurich Diamond League final in 2022, Chopra secured the first spot in the Javelin throw. Harmanpreet Singh, Praveen Kumar Recommended; Manu Bhaker Not Nominated For Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna 2024 Award: Report.

Even after struggling with injury, Neeraj Chopra won a couple of gold medals in 2023. One of them was at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the other one at the at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. During the Doha Diamond League 2024 he finished second but then later on he secured a gold medal at the Federation Cup 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 24, 2024 08:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).