Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra attained the world No: 1 spot in the latest men's javelin throw rankings issued by the World Athletics. According to the Olympic Games statement, Chopra, the first Indian to achieve this massive feat, topped the charts with 1455 points, 22 ahead of Grenada’s Anderson Peters. Rohit Yadav, at number 15, and DP Manu, at 17, are the other Indian javelin throwers featured in the top 20.
𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱! 💪
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) May 22, 2023
Neeraj Chopra of 🇮🇳 is the new World No. 1 in men’s javelin throw, as per the latest rankings released by World Athletics. He's the first athlete from the nation to achieve the feat.#Athletics pic.twitter.com/kFh6gUipOd
The 25-year-old field athlete rose to world number two on August 30, 2022, but was stuck behind Peters since then. In September 2022, Chopra bagged the Diamond League 2022 finals in Zurich, becoming the first Indian to win the trophy. He then returned to action at the season-opening Doha Diamond League on May 5, 2023, and finished first with a throw of 88.67m.
Chopra, who clinched a gold at the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast in 2018, was sidelined from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a groin injury. His achievement received appreciation from various personalities, including the Governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya.
Olympic Champion @neeraj____chopra was etched in the history books after becoming the first Indian to attain the world number 1 ranking in the men's javelin discipline on Monday. Chopra, one of India's greatest track and field athletes of all time dethroned Anderson Peters from… pic.twitter.com/lpdv1XDsH5
— Vishal Chaudhary🇮🇳 (@VishalcINC) May 23, 2023
The Golden moment for India when Neeraj Chopra won Olympic Gold medal in Javelin Throw at Tokyo Olympics. pic.twitter.com/waaP1GLmET
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 7, 2023
Great day for Indian athletics. India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra takes pole position having 1455 world ranking points in his kitty. pic.twitter.com/zk7Txkadoa
— Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) May 23, 2023
Heartiest congratulations to @Neeraj_chopra1 for topping men’s javelin throw ranking issued by the World Athletics. You have made not only #Haryana but the entire country proud. Keep excelling in life. Best wishes !#NeerajChopra pic.twitter.com/TEwLGbpeJL
— Bandaru Dattatreya (@Dattatreya) May 23, 2023
He will next compete at the FBK Games on June 4, 2023, in the Netherlands. He has also confirmed participation at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on June 13, 2023. Olympic Games mentioned that the 2023 season would be crucial for Chopra with the Paris 2024 Olympics approaching. "Besides defending his Diamond League crown and the Asian Games javelin gold medal at Hangzhou, Neeraj Chopra will also compete at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest," it added.
Chopra who hails from Khandra Panipat, Haryana earned his bachelor’s degree from Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Punjab
