NEW DELHI: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra added what was missing from his cabinet by winning the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Sunday.
He also became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Championships when he pipped Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem in the men's javelin with an 88.17 metre effort in the final.
Here's a look at Neeraj's historic achievements so far:Gold in World U-20 Championships in 2016Neeraj shot to fame with the U-20 World Championships title in 2016. His winning throw of 86.48m not only secured a gold medal for him but also set the new under-20 world record, beating the 84.69m mark set by Latvia's Zigismunds Sirmais.
His remarkable throw of 86.48 meters in Bydgoszcz remains unchallenged, standing tall as both the under-20 world record and the under-20 Asian record in the javelin throw.
Gold in 2018 CWG, Gold CoastNeeraj made a golden debut at Commonwealth Games 2018 as he became the first Indian javelin thrower to win a CWG gold medal. He was the fourth Indian to win an athletics title at the Games after Milkha Singh (1958), Krishna Poonia (2010) and Vikas Gowda (2014).
Gold in 2018 Asian Games, JakartaNeeraj became the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta with an attempt of 88.06m. His effort also saw him create the national record at that time.
Before Neeraj, Gurtej Singh was the only men's javelin thrower from the country to win a medal at Asian Games – bronze in 1982 in New Delhi.
Gold in Tokyo OlympicsThe breathtaking moment in Neeraj's career came in Tokyo in 2021 when he became only the second individual gold medallist for India in the history of the Olympics.
Neeraj's monumental achievement unfolded when his second throw reached a distance of 87.58 meters, propelling him to the pinnacle of success with a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
This historic victory made Neeraj the first Indian track and field athlete to win a medal at the Olympics.
Won Lausanne Diamond League meet in 2022Neeraj achieved a groundbreaking feat by becoming the first Indian victor of a Diamond League meet. This triumph took place in Lausanne in 2022, where, despite a field missing world champion Anderson Peters, Neeraj's dominance shone through.
With a confident opening attempt, he hurled the javelin to an impressive distance of 89.08m. This performance also marked the final men's javelin throw event in the series.
Neeraj's exceptional display secured not only his spot in the Diamond League Final but also earned him a well-deserved qualification for the World Athletics Championships in 2023.
Neeraj Chopra wins India's first World Championships gold
Crowned Diamond League champion, Zurich Final 2022In September 2022, Neeraj achieved another remarkable milestone, solidifying his legacy as the first Indian athlete to secure the Diamond League trophy after the Zurich Diamond League 2022 Final.
The Indian ace unleashed a stellar throw covering a distance of 88.44 meters, propelling him to victory over Jakub Vadlejch, the silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, and the reigning 2016 champion. Julian Weber of Germany, secured third place with an 83.73-meter throw.
Silver in World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022Neeraj's legacy continued to grow as the star javelin thrower scripted history by winning the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships 2022 in Oregon, USA.
He dished out an effort of 88.39m mark in the qualification round to make the final before his best throw of 88.13m in the medal round fetched his silver.
Neeraj also became the first Indian in history to win a silver medal at the world athletics championships. His effort saw India clinch their first medal in 19 years, and only the second in history. The previous one had been secured by long jumper Anju Bobby George, who won a bronze at Paris 2003.