A Pakistani and an Indian stood on the top two steps of the podium, arm on each other and the world watched in awe.
Things like these don’t happen at the Olympics track and field. They shatter the stereotypes, spoil the narrative. Then again, Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra are born to do that for their respective countries.
They were not just spear-throwers. Chopra and Nadeem were launching India and Pakistan to places the countries had never been before.
When it comes to winning at the Olympics, Neeraj Chopra has cracked the code! 💪🇮🇳
A 🥈 for the Javelin maestro at #Paris2024!
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Nadeem, with an Olympic record throw of 92.97 m, won Pakistan’s first medal at the Olympics – of any colour, in any sport – since 1992. It was a dominant gold. Chopra’s best effort of 89.45 m fetched him a silver, making him the first India to win gold and silver medals at the Olympics.
The scenes that unfolded Thursday night here were in sharp contrast to the ones that followed the Tokyo Olympics. Back then, Nadeem was accused of “moving around” Chopra’s javelin during the final. As Nadeem got trolled and targeted relentlessly, Chopra came to the rescue of his “very good friend”, requesting the “propaganda” be stopped.
On this occasion, once the results were confirmed, the two rivals, two friends embraced each other and wrapped their respective countries’ flags around their shoulders. The Stade de France was on its feet for a rare scene.
For Chopra, it might not have been a gold medal. But it was history nevertheless.
He competed under pressure the whole night – Chopra had just one legal throw – but he never let it affect him. Even when Nadeem had stunned all with his massive effort in the second attempt.
At 8.47 pm, the track steward summoned the eighth competitor, Bib No. 809, Chopra, for his second attempt.
Neeraj Chopra gives it his all to make a 89.45 throw in the Javelin final at #Paris2024! 🇮🇳🎯
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When Chopra walked to his mark, the conditions were ideal; the runway, fast and hard. Julian Weber, the German world number 3, had remarked that the block leg could skid. Chopra had fouled his first attempt. But if he was nervous, he didn’t show. He never does.
As he stood at his mark, Chopra gently exhaled. He slapped the javelin gently, and paused, thinking only one thing: Don’t foul.
The crowd was still buzzing with Nadeem’s Olympic Record throw. Disco lights flashed in the stands and the DJ played Desi Boys.
Nadeem’s throw had been the second feat they hadn’t seen coming, going by how strongly everyone reacted. Roughly 10 minutes before, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo ran a race of his lifetime, finishing the 200m sprint in 19.46 seconds, putting the American superstar Noah Lyles in his shadow.
Nadeem pulled off the feat with as nonchalance as Letsile’s dash. Both were met with the same joy. The eyes were now on Chopra.
The Indian gathered speed on the runway, had good full strides and tossed the spear into the sky blue sky. Then, there was the familiar roar. Chopra didn’t even look to see where he went. He knew it was good.
The javelin had sailed over the 85m mark. It was closer to the Olympic Record of 90.57, set 16 years ago in Beijing – the one that Nadeem had shattered.
ARSHAD NADEEM REWRITES OLYMPIC HISTORY WITH 9️⃣2️⃣.9️⃣7️⃣
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The eyes of the scattered Indians in the stands, and Chopra himself, darted between the giant screen and the tiny monitors on the corners of the field. After 30 seconds or so the distance flashed: 89.45 m. Season best. The Olympic, World, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Diamond League champion had another major medal to his name: the Olympic silver. It reeks of consistency.
This will be a moment to savour; one of the tastiest single morsels of history for India at the Olympics. In the mediocrity of Indian sport, Chopra had once again pushed the boundaries beyond anyone’s imagination.
Julius Yego, the Rio Olympics champion, had promised after qualification that there would be bigger throws in the final. “Expect something big. Bigger than 90m,” he said.
This was the general feeling among the competitors; not necessarily of a 90m-plus final but a highly-competitive one. They supported the argument by saying that compared to the nine throwers who qualified automatically for the final after the qualification round – the mark was set at 84m – only six could do that in Tokyo, where the criteria was also lower at 83.50m.
Chopra wasn’t fixated about the numbers. Not for him the crystal-ball gazing. His uncomplicated, uncluttered, free of any pressure.
He sauntered around, even after the first throw was red-flagged. Chopra got the distance, he was a good metre or so over the 85m mark. But he had stepped over the line. Only two other throwers had a foul throw in their first attempt, Nadeem and Julian Weber of Germany. Chopra was last in the 12-man field.
But Chopra was sauntering. Standing up, rotating his arm, flexing his hips. Shattering the stereotypes of India’s track and field athletes – scratch that – India’s athletes.
A foul first throw in the final isn’t what Indians are known to handle .They usually look towards their coach, sit next to their closest rival and smile at him. Chopra didn’t lose his poise. He wasn’t in your face or cocky. He knew he was world class.
Twelve minutes after his first throw, he unleashed a big throw – his season best. It would be his only legal attempt of the night. But enough to fetch him a silver.
