Neeraj Chopra achieves new career high, becomes World No1 in men's javelin
New Delhi, May 23: Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has scripted history by becoming World No. 1 in men's javelin throw.
As per the latest men's javelin throw rankings issued by the World Athletics on Monday, Neeraj topped the charts with 1455 points, 22 ahead of Grenada's Anderson Peters.
The Indian javelin thrower rose to World No. 2 on August 30, 2022, but has been locked behind reigning world champion Peters ever since.
In September of last year, Neeraj became the first Indian athlete to win the Diamond League 2022 finals in Zurich. Following his victory in Zurich, he was sidelined with an injury.
On May 5, Neeraj, the Indian national record holder in men's javelin throw, won the season-opening Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88.67m. Anderson Peters finished third in Doha with an 85.88m distance.
The No. 1 rating will come as a boost for Neeraj Chopra, who will compete at the FBK Games 2023 in the Netherlands on June 4. On June 13, he also announced his participation in the Paavo Nurmi Games 2023 in Turku, Finland.
With the Olympics in Paris in 2024 approaching, the 2023 season promises to be a crucial one for the Indian Javelin throw ace.
In addition to defending his Diamond League championship and Asian Games javelin gold medal in Hangzhou, Neeraj will compete in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
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- ANI
