Star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra added to his already enviable medals tally by bagging a gold medal in Men's Javelin throw event at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In what was a double podium finish for India, Kishore Jena clinched the silver medal. While Neeraj recorded his season-best throw of 88.88 metres, it was Kishore's personal best of 87.54m that helped him bag a silver medal. Dean Genki Roderick of Japan came third and claimed the the bronze medal recording a best effort of 82.68m.
In the men's javelin final, both Neeraj and Kishore faced early challenges due to technical issues. Neeraj's first throw was invalidated, causing a significant delay, while Kishore Jena had his second throw initially ruled as a foul before it was corrected with a white flag. Despite these early setbacks, both athletes displayed remarkable resilience and secured places on the podium, a day after Annu Rani had bagged the gold medal at the delayed 2022 Asian Games.
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During the first half of the men's javelin final, Kishore took the lead by achieving a personal best throw of 87.54m. Neeraj, standing on the sidelines, enthusiastically cheered on his teammate. This heartwarming moment showcased Neeraj's unwavering support for his fellow athletes, and he genuinely celebrated Jena's remarkable achievement on the grand stage of his burgeoning career before surpassing him in the fourth attempt.
The Asian Games gold medal which was Neeraj's second after his gold in the Jakarta edition of the Games in 2018, was the second one he had won in the continental tournament. His rich legacy continues as he adds tohis medals tally. He already has a South Asian Games 2016 gold, an Asian Championship 2017 gold, a Commonwealth Games 2018 gold, an Asian Games 2018 Gold, the 2020 Olympic Gold, the Diamond League 2022, the World Championships gold to go with the World Championships 2022 silver and the Diamond League 2023 silver at 25 years of age.