Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra climbs to No. 2 in World Men's Javelin Throw rankings

Not only did Olympic javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's gold-winning performance help him end India's Tokyo Olympics 2020 campaign in style but it also broke the country's 13-year jinx of winning Olympic gold.  Apart from receiving several accolades on his gold medal-winning performance, Chopra also got a significant boost to his position at the Men's Javelin Throw World Rankings, being placed second, behind Germany's Johannes Vetter.

At the Tokyo Olympics final, Chopra's second throw at 87.58m turned out to be the best throw of the competition and the Indian athlete finished at the top of the podium. 

World Javelin Throw Rankings 

Chopra's spectacular performance that helped him win the Olympic gold medal last week in Tokyo has now made him World No. 2 in the men's javelin throw with a score of 1,315.

Neeraj's rivals from the Czech Republic who had won silver and bronze respectively also feature in the list. Jakub Vadlejch, who won silver, occupies the fourth spot with a score of 1,298 and his countryman Vítězslav Veselý, who won bronze, is placed at the eighth position with a score of 1,260. Germany's Johannes Vetter holds the first spot with 1396 points.

Neeraj Chopra's gold-winning performance

Neeraj Chopra, on August 7, scripted history at the Tokyo Olympics as he won India's first gold medal at this year's event and ended the county's century-long wait of winning a gold medal at a track and field event at the Olympic Games. Chopra brought his A-game from the first round itself.

In the first round, Neeraj Chopra broke his qualification record with his throw reaching 87.03m. His second throw was at 87.58m, and his third throw touched 76.79m. The Indian athlete's second throw helped him advance into the second round.

While Chopra's first two throws in the second round were dismissed as fouls, his third throw neared the 84m mark. 

By virtue of this emphatic triumph, Neeraj Chopra won the country's seventh medal and first gold in this year's Olympic games. The victory also helped India surpass its's previous best haul of six medals achieved in the 2012 London games.

Notably, Chopra had to overcome a tough opponent in the form of World no. 1 Johannes Vetter from Germany, and he achieved the feat in style. Vetter showcased a dismal performance to finish ninth. 

Earlier this year, Vetter had said Chopra will find it difficult to beat him at the Tokyo Olympics despite his ability to throw far. Interestingly, the German athlete couldn't even reach the top three in the men's javelin throw final. Vetter failed to qualify for the top eight after his initial three attempts, where he registered 82.52m as his best throw. 

"He (Chopra) threw good throws twice this year. Above 86m in Finland (86.79m at the Kuortane Games). If he is healthy and if he is in the right shape, especially in his technique, he can throw far. But he has to fight with me. I am looking to throw over 90m in Tokyo, so it will be tough for him to beat me," Vetter had said during a media interaction organised by World Athletics.

As of now, Johannes Vetter currently holds the second-best throw of all-time at 97.76m.  

The 28-year-old German had come into the Olympics as a hot favourite for gold, having thrown 90m plus on seven occasions between April and June. He was, however, to the surprise of many eliminated on the day when it mattered the most.