Neeraj Chopra: Golden boy’s silver touch

India’s golden boy from the Tokyo Games, global track & field’s diamond, had a silver touch at the 2024 Paris Olympics

You just knew he’d do it. Because he is that good.

Neeraj Chopra during the men's javelin throw final in Paris. (PTI)

India’s golden boy from the Tokyo Games, global track & field’s diamond, had a silver touch at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Defending Olympic javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra added to his Tokyo gold with a rare second individual medal in India’s Olympic history. The Paris gold, meanwhile, went to a man from across the border who wrote some history of his own.

With a monstrous second throw of 92.97m, a new Olympic record and the sixth best throw in the all-time list, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem pushed the bar so high that the Indian, despite an immediate animated response after throwing 89.45m in his second attempt, couldn’t overhaul. Grenada’s Anderson Peters took bronze at 88.54m.

The global spectacle of the Olympics had turned into India versus Pakistan, so of course cricket was brought up by the announcer. This was the athletics field, though, and Chopra would have to do something he has yet to in it — cross the 90m mark to beat his rival and close friend. The Indian couldn’t get close in his next four attempts.

India is yet to win a gold from these Games — this was the fifth medal overall — but Chopra has placed himself firmly in the golden books of India’s sporting greats. A gold-silver cabinet among India’s Olympians is unprecedented, and only a handful -- Sushil Kumar, PV Sindhu and Manu Bhaker from these Games -- can flaunt two individual medals of any colour.

You just knew he’d do it. Because he’s that good.

The loudest roar among all javelin throwers was reserved to welcome the Indian into the 80,000-capacity Stade de France, Chopra walking out arms lifted and hands folded. The defending champion’s first throw though was a faltering foul, his flung body from the momentum of hurling the javelin tipping over the line. The javelin had landed around the 85m mark. He wasn’t alone with a false start, joining rivals Nadeem and German Julian Weber as Keshorn Walcott led the charts with a throw of 86.16m after the first round.

Until Nadeem came and shook it to the core. He had stopped in his run-up and gone again at the first throw. For the second, it was all smooth, and sensational. The javelin landed at a barely believable 92.97m, evoking gasps from the capacity crowd that would now see Nadeem with his arms lifted and hands folded. Sensing the Asian flavour, the DJ inside the stadium blasted the “Desi boys” Hindi track. The Indian boy had been summoned to step up.

Step up he did. A tinge of tension on his face while loading up, it was released the moment the javelin parted with Chopra’s right arm. It sailed high, drifted a touch towards the left and landed at 89.45m -- his farthest since his personal best of 89.94m in 2022 — to fling him up to second. That Chopra felt the tremors of the Nadeem throw was evident in his gesture walking back towards the crowd. He pressed both his arms downward to indicate he is around and kicking, before rotating his right index finger to say there is more to come. The humble champion’s competitive juices had been stirred.

Chopra couldn’t get close to Nadeem, however, not even to his second throw of the night. The third was way off his lofty standards, and Chopra chose to step over the line. The fourth had him fall and pip over the line again, although even that landed below the 85m mark. The subsequent throws too weren’t anywhere close to the gold. And so, silver it was.

In the swirl of wavering fortunes, sporting and otherwise, of Indian athletes at these Games, there was one soothing presence.

You just knew he’d be there for the final. Because he’s that good. He did what he does in a quality qualification round — one and out, into the final with a no-drama throw of 89.34m.

You just knew he’d be there in the medal hunt come the final. Because he’s that good.

In a sport where bodies can break and throws can fluctuate wildly — take, for instance, German breakout teen Max Dehning who didn’t even make it to the Olympics final in a season in which he breached the 90m-mark — Chopra has been the epitome of constancy.

Since the end of the 2021 season on which he drew curtains as the Olympic champion, 32 of Chopra’s legal throws have gone beyond 85 metres. Through all those elite meets criss-crossing the world and camping abroad for most of the year, Chopra has not once finished below the top three. Unreal consistency. Real class.

You just knew he’d bring that to Paris too. Because he’s that good.

Notwithstanding this season being rather slow and steady. The Indian only competed in only three meets coming into the Games, one among them a quick pitstop to flex his arm the country as a mere formality. The other two — the season opener at the Doha Diamond League and the Paavo Nurmi Games in June — had been spaced out and the adductor issue had to be carefully looked after.

And yet, you just knew he’d turn up and do it. Because he’s that good.