Neeraj Chopra's Podium Streak Concludes Amidst a Successful Season
A Rare Setback: Podium Streak Ends
Neeraj Chopra, India's renowned javelin thrower and two-time Olympic medalist, faced an unexpected end to his remarkable 26-event podium streak. This occurred during his title defense at the World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo, where he finished in 8th place.
At the championships in September, Chopra recorded a best throw of 84.03 meters, marking the first instance in 26 competitions where he did not achieve a top-two finish. This defeat also concluded his impressive 33-event podium streak, which had begun at the 2018 All-India Inter-Services Championships.
A Successful 2025 Season
Despite this rare setback, the Indian athlete has had a fruitful 2025 season. He claimed victory in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, a competition named in his honor, at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru in July. His season commenced with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April, followed by a notable second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League in May, where he surpassed the 90-meter mark for the first time with a throw of 90.23 meters.
Breaching the 90-Metre Barrier
On May 16, Chopra finally put to rest the discussions surrounding the 90-meter mark by achieving a throw of 90.23 meters. Although he finished second in that event, he set a new Indian national record and became the 25th man in history to surpass the prestigious 90-meter barrier.
He continued his success with a second-place finish at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month. Following this, he secured back-to-back titles at the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike, with impressive throws of 88.16 meters and 85.29 meters, respectively. In late August, Chopra maintained his streak of top-two finishes by achieving a best throw of 85.01 meters during the Diamond League final in Zurich.
The Golden Boy's Journey
Neeraj Chopra was born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana. He has brought immense pride to India and the Armed Forces through his outstanding international athletic accomplishments. Notably, he made history as the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Honour from the Armed Forces
In October, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh officially awarded Chopra the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army during a ceremony at South Block, New Delhi. The event was attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and other senior officials from the Indian Army and Territorial Army.