Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian athlete to win a global title in athletics when he nailed the gold medal in javelin with a record-breaking performance at the World Under-20 championships here on Sunday.
The 18-year-old from Haryana threw the javelin to a world junior record of 86.48 metres — also a senior national record — to notch a sensational triumph on the penultimate day of the championships here.
Chopra, who had equalled the national record with an 82.23M effort while winning the South Asian Games in Guwahati earlier this year, was in top form on the day.
He threw 79.66 in the first round but trailed Johan Grobler of South Africa who came up with an 80.59 in the first round. The Indian responded in spectacular fashion in the second round, sending the spear to a territory that proved beyond the reach of his rivals.
Chopra had a 78.36 in the third round and fouled his fourth and final throw but by then, the gold was firmly in his pocket. Grobler was second while Anderson Peters of Granada won the bronze at 79.65M.
Chopra, the Asian junior silver medallist, had been attempting to reach the Olympic qualification mark of 83.00 metres all season but with the deadline having passed on July 11, he will have to miss out on Rio.
Son of a farmer from Panipat, Chopra has been training under India’s Australian coach Garry Calvert for the last few months.