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Neeraj Chopra is a javelin thrower who won India’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics at the Tokyo 2020 Games. He has since won the world title in 2023, Olympic silver in Paris in 2024 and become the first Indian to throw beyond 90 metres.
Biography
Early life
Chopra grew up in a farming family in Haryana and took up javelin as a teenager at a stadium in Panipat. In 2016 he set a junior world record of 86.48 m to win the World U20 Championships, and he joined the Indian Army that year.
Champion
He won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, and on 7 August 2021 won the Olympic javelin at Tokyo with 87.58 m — India’s first Olympic athletics gold. He won the Diamond League title in 2022 and the world championship in Budapest in 2023, the first Indian world champion in athletics, followed by Asian Games gold and Olympic silver at Paris 2024. In 2025 he crossed 90 metres for the first time.
He received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021 and the Padma Shri in 2022, and holds an honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.
How it began
As an overweight 12-year-old in Khandra village, Chopra was taken by his family to the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat to get fit. There he watched athletes throwing the javelin and tried it himself, showing natural talent. He trained at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula and later with German coach Uwe Hohn and biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz.
Consistency
Between 2021 and 2025 Chopra finished in the top two in 26 consecutive competitions, one of the longest such streaks in javelin history. He has worked with the Czech javelin great Jan Železný as coach, and after serving in the Indian Army as a junior commissioned officer was given an honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. India marks 7 August, the day of his Tokyo gold, as National Javelin Day.
Timeline
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1997
Born in Khandra, Panipat district, Haryana
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2010
Takes up the javelin in Panipat
Aged about 12.
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2016
World U20 champion
Junior world record of 86.48 m.
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2017
Asian Championships gold
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2018
Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold
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2021
Olympic gold in Tokyo
India’s first in athletics.
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2022
Diamond League champion; Padma Shri
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2023
World champion in Budapest
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2023
Asian Games gold
Hangzhou.
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2024
Olympic silver in Paris
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2025
First throw beyond 90 metres
Awards and honours
-
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
2021
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Padma Shri
2022
Did you know?
-
1
He took up sport as a boy to lose weight.
-
2
7 August, the day of his Olympic gold, is National Javelin Day in India.
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3
He has finished in the top two in 26 consecutive competitions.
Gallery
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Neeraj Chopra?
Neeraj Chopra is a javelin thrower who won India’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics at the Tokyo 2020 Games. He has since won the world title in 2023, Olympic silver in Paris in 2024 and become the first Indian to throw beyond 90 metres.
How old is Neeraj Chopra?
Neeraj Chopra is 28 years old, born on 24 December 1997 in Khandra, Panipat district, Haryana.
Where is Neeraj Chopra from?
Neeraj Chopra was born in Khandra, Panipat district, Haryana.
What is Neeraj Chopra known for?
Neeraj Chopra is best known for Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020; 2023 world champion; Olympic silver at Paris 2024.
What awards has Neeraj Chopra received?
Notable honours include Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021), Padma Shri (2022).
References
- Neeraj Chopra — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Neeraj Chopra — Olympics.com athlete profile. Olympics.com. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Neeraj Chopra — World Athletics profile. World Athletics. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Neeraj Chopra — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Neeraj Chopra (Q24955843) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Neeraj Chopra.” TrackFame, last updated 26 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/neeraj-chopra
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