GOLDEN ARM: Reigning champion Neeraj Chopra goes for golden double as support cast looks to shine
Indervir Grewal
Chandigarh, July 23
Indian athletics has had its fair share of icons — those who came agonisingly close to the ultimate glory of winning a medal at the Olympics.
1 Chopra only Indian to win gold in track & field
There was the fabled fourth-place finish of the legendary Milkha Singh at the 1960 Olympics, the ‘Flying Sikh’ missing out on a 400m medal despite leading the race at one point. Four years later, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, the ultimate athlete, ended fifth in the 110m hurdles.
Then came PT Usha’s phenomenal run in 1984, the ‘Payyoli Express’ denied a 400m hurdles medal by the tiniest of margins. Long jumper Anju Bobby George’s fifth-place finish in 2004 was the latest chapter in India’s history of near misses.
The wait for a medal in the ‘mother of all sports’ seemed endless. Until a long-haired 23-year-old from Panipat, with his springy technique, catapulted Indian athletics, and javelin throw in particular, to unprecedented heights with a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
A junior world champion, Neeraj Chopra was touted as a gold medal hope at Tokyo. India’s sports history is replete with medal hopefuls crumbling under the weight of expectations. But Chopra proved that he was special. The gold propelled him to overnight stardom and made him a household name — a rare feat for a non-cricketer.
He followed up his Olympics conquest with other historic victories — becoming the first Indian to win the World Championships gold and the Diamond League crown — his consistency solidifying his legacy as arguably India’s greatest athlete.
High profile
Chopra’s success has also helped raise the profile of Indian athletics. The direct benefit was an increase in government funding. Out of the Rs 470 crore spent on India’s preparation for the Paris Games, Rs 96.08 crore were allocated for athletics. It was a substantial jump from the Rs 5.38 crore spent in the previous Olympics cycle.
The monetary help — leading to better training and more exposure on the international circuit — has reflected in the performances on the world stage. From three medals in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the number went up to eight in 2022, the three medals in men’s long jump and triple jump events coming as the biggest surprise.
Middle-distance runners Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary have been rising steadily. Asian Games gold medallist Chaudhary is a national record holder in 3000m steeplechase and 5000m, qualifying in both events for Paris.
Sable, apart from being an Asian Games gold winner and a CWG silver medallist, reached the final of the steeplechase event in the last two World Championships. Having again broken his national record two weeks ago, Sable is in top form. “It will be a technical race and I am ready for that,” Sable said last month.
Then there is Jyothi Yarraji, who is set to become the first Indian 100m hurdler to participate in the Olympics. After missing the qualifying mark by .01 of a second, Yarraji came through on rankings. Last year, the 24-year-old broke the national record, won the Asian Games silver and the Asian Championships gold.
All eyes will also be on the men’s 4x400m relay team, which rose to prominence last year. After finishing fifth in the World Championships — also giving USA a tough fight in the heats — the India eased to the Asian Games gold.
From 23 athletes at Tokyo, the number has risen to 29. Realistically, though, Chopra is the only medal contender. But even Chopra has not been at his best. He has participated in only two international events this year. After an 88.36m effort in the Diamond League’s Doha leg in May, Chopra was troubled by an adductor niggle. Last month, he managed a below-par 85.97m at the Paavo Nurmi Games. Coach Klaus Bartonietz revealed that Chopra has recovered. “The intensity of training is high, with full throwing sessions,” he said.
Chopra has a knack for producing his best on the big stage, and it will not be a surprise if he stands atop the podium once again.
ATHLETICS
MEN
20km race walk
Akshdeep Singh, Paramjeet Bisht, Vikas Singh,
Final: August 1
Shot put: Tajinderpal Singh Toor
Qualification: August 2; Final: August 3
Long jump: Jeswin Aldrin
Qualification: August 4; Final: August 6
3000m steeplechase: Avinash Sable
Round 1: August 5; Final: August 8
High jump: Sarvesh Kushare
Qualification: August 7; Final: August 10
Triple jump: Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveel Chithravel
Qualification: August 7; Final: August 9
Javelin throw: Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena
Qualification: August 6; Final: August 8
4x400m relay: Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal,
Amoj Jacob, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh,
Mijo Chacko Kurian
Round 1: August 9; Final: August 11
WOMEN
20km race walk: Priyanka Goswami
Final: August 1
5000m: Ankita Dhyani, Parul Chaudhary
Round 1: August 2; Final: August 6
3000m steeplechase: Parul Chaudhary
Round 1: August 4; Final: August 7
400m: Kiran Pahal
Round 1: August 5; Repechage round: August 6
Semifinal: August 8; Final: August 9
100m hurdles: Jyothi Yarraji
Round 1: August 7; Repechage round: August 8
Semifinal: August 9; Final: August 10
Javelin throw: Annu Rani
Qualification: August 7; Final: August 10
4x400m relay: Jyothika Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan,
Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma MR, Kiran Pahal, Prachi
Round 1: August 9; Final: August 11
Marathon race walk mixed relay:
Suraj Panwar and Priyanka Goswami
Final: August 7
Chasing glory
Apart from being an Asian Games gold winner and a CWG silver medallist, Avinash Sable reached the final of the 3000m steeplechase event in the last two World Championships
Crossing hurdles
Jyothi Yarraji is set to become the first Indian 100m hurdler to participate in the Olympics. The national record holder won the Asian Games silver and Asian Championships gold last year
Going the distance
Parul Chaudhary is a national record holder in 3000m steeplechase and 5000m, qualifying in both events for Paris. Last year, she won the 5000m gold and steeplechase silver at the Asian Games
