It cost the defending champion Neeraj Chopra a gold medal at Paris 2024 for not being able to breach the 90m mark throughout the three-year cycle after Tokyo 2020. He clinched the silver medal in the eight-man javelin throw final with his season-best effort of 89.45m, losing the gold to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem while Anderson Peters of Grenada clinched the bronze.

There was a gulf in class between Chopra and Nadeem in the quality eight-man field. The Tokyo 2020 gold medallist delivered only one perfect throw which was enough to seal him the second spot on the podium while his Pakistan counter-part set the Olympic Record with an effort of 92.97m during his second attempt and was close to improving it with his final throw of 91.79. Meanwhile, the Grenadian’s throw of 88.54m earned him the third spot on the podium as he dished out only one foul throw in his six attempts.

It is notable that soon after the Tokyo 2020, one of Chopra’s goals was to breach the 90m mark, which he is still chasing. He was close to reaching the mark by setting a National Record of 89.94m at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022 under the tutelage of Dr. Klaus Bartonietz. However, the final results at Paris 2024 showed that he might have to produce an even bigger throw to elevate himself back to gold medal contention in Los Angeles 2028.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Jakub Vadlejch (88.50m) from Czechia, Kenyan Julius Yugo with his season-best throw of 87.72m, and Germany’s Julian Weber (87.40m) were among the other javelin throwers to take the top-six position at Paris 2024.