Silver for Neeraj Chopra

New Delhi: Ending a 19-year-long wait, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra became the second Indian to secure a medal for India in javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships, as he won silver with a stunning throw of 89.94m, just 6cm shy of the 90m mark, the gold standard in the world of javelin throw.

The only other time an Indian won a medal at the Worlds was Anju Bobby George (bronze) in 2003.

Anderson Peters of Grenada took the gold with three 90m+ throws and a final hurl of 90.54 in the last attempt. Jakub Vadlejch secured the bronze with a 88.09m throw.

Chopra's other throws measured 84.37m, 87.46m, 84.77m, 86.67 and 86.84m. He bettered his earlier national record of 89.30m, which his spear had travelled while finishing second in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on June 14.

"Today, I feel good and after first throw, I thought I could throw even over 90m today. But it is OK as I have more competitions coming this year," Chopra said after the event.

"I am close to 90m now and I can throw it this year. Despite the fact that I did not win tonight, I feel very good because I did my best."

Chopra's first throw had raised hopes of him scripting history of becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League event. Nonetheless, he became the second Indian to finish in top-three in a Diamond League competition after discus thrower Vikas Gowda.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gowda, who retired in 2017, had finished in top-three in a Diamond League event four times in his career. He had finished second in 2012 (New York) and 2014 (Doha) and third in Shanghai and Eugene in 2015. Chopra was making his first Diamond League appearance in four years after his fourth-place finish in Zurich in August 2018. He has taken part in seven Diamond League meets -- three in 2017 and four in 2018.

The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital is Chopra's biggest event ahead of the World Championships in Eugene, USA, from July 15-24. The next Diamond League Meeting where javelin throw is in the programme is in Monaco on August 10.