Neeraj Chopra

Subedar Major

Neeraj Chopra

PVSM VSM OLY

Chopra in December 2021
Personal information
Born	(1997-12-24) 24 December 1997 (age 26) Khandra, Haryana, India
Education	DAV College, Chandigarh
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Weight	86 kg (190 lb)[2]
Military career
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Army
Years of service	2016–present
Rank	Subedar Major
Service number	JC-471869A[3]
Unit	4 Rajputana Rifles[4]
Awards	Padma Shri Param Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event	Javelin throw
Coached by	Klaus Bartonietz (2021–) Uwe Hohn (2018–2021) Gary Calvert (2016-2017) Kashinath Naik (2016) Naseem Ahmed (2011-2012) Jaiveer Singh (2010-2011)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1 (achieved on 11 May 2023)
Personal bests	89.94 m NR (2022)[5]
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  India Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 – World Championships 1 1 – Diamond League 1 1 - Asian Games 2 – – Commonwealth Games 1 – – Asian Championships 1 – – South Asian Games 1 – – World Junior Championships 1 – – Asian Junior Championships – 1 – Total 9 4 0 Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo Javelin throw 2024 Paris Javelin throw World Championships 2023 Budapest Javelin throw 2022 Eugene Javelin throw Diamond League 2022 Javelin throw 2023 Javelin throw Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Javelin throw 2022 Hangzhou Javelin throw Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold Coast Javelin throw Asian Championships 2017 Bhubaneshwar Javelin throw South Asian Games 2016 Guwahati/Shillong Javelin throw World Junior Championships 2016 Bydgoszcz Javelin throw Asian Junior Championships 2016 Ho Chi Minh City Javelin throw

Subedar Major Neeraj Chopra PVSM VSM OLY (born 24 December 1997) is an Indian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. He won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, becoming the first Asian athlete to do so at an Olympic event. He is also the first Asian to win the javelin gold in the World Athletics Championships after his win in 2023.

Chopra is the first athletics gold medalist for India. As of 2024^[update], he is one of only two Indians to have won an individual Olympic gold medal, the youngest-ever Indian Olympic gold medalist in an individual event and the only individual to have won gold on his Olympic debut. He is one of the five individual multiple medalists for India at the Olympics after his silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. He was the first Indian to win at the World Under-20 Championships, where he achieved a world U20 record throw of 86.48 m in 2016, becoming the first Indian athlete to set a world record in athletics.

Chopra's silver medal at the 2022 World Championships made him the second Indian to win a medal at a World Athletics Championships. He has also won gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and is a multiple Asian Games gold medalist. He won gold at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, serving as the flag-bearer in the former.