Exclusive! Neeraj Chopra lauds 'unbeatable' Anderson Peters for his gold medal at World Championships

Anderson Peters was the favourite for the elusive gold medal in the men's javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2022 on Sunday (July 24) and the reigning world championlived up to the tag as he stunned the world with as many as three throws over 90m in the final. Grenadian Peters beat India's Neeraj Chopra comprehensively in the final to successfully defend his World Championships title on Sunday.

Neeraj scripted history as he clinched India's first-ever silver medal at the World Athletics Championships while also becoming only the second athlete from the country after the great Anju Bobby George to win a medal at the showpiece event. He came up with his best throw of 88.13m in his fourth attempt to finish second behind Peters in the final.

While Neeraj had a sluggish start in the final, Peters was on the money from the word go and left many in awe with his dazzling performance. He started with a stunning throw of 90.21m to consolidate his spot on the top of the table and ensured gold with his very first attempt in the final as no other player managed to breach the 90m-mark.

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However, Peters was not done after his 90.21m effort in his first attempt and improved it to 90.46m in his second attempt. TheGrenadian closed things out in brilliant fashion with a humongous throw of 90.54m in his final sixth attempt to clinch the gold medal and do it in some style.

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Many were left in awe of Peters' stunning display, including Chopra, who insisted it was indeed a brilliant effort from the 24-year-old to produce three throws of over 90m in the final despite the challenging conditions in Eugene, Oregon where the wind was not favouring the javelin stars. Neeraj also agreed Peters was 'unbeatable' in the final consideringthe kind of form he was in.

"Yes, definitely (Anderson Peters was unbeatable in the final). According to me, it was a great effort from him to produce three throws of over 90m despite the challenging conditions. I am someone who accepts the fact that someone else is doing better and it's good to see that an athlete is doing well and progressing further," Neeraj said in an exclusive interaction with WION.

"There are some competitions where Anderson Peters has not been able to throw that far and has not done that well but that is common for an athlete — to face ups and downs. You should respect anyone who wins as everyone has worked hard for their victory," he added.

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While he missed out on the gold medal against an in-form Peters, Neeraj etched history with his remarkable triumph at the World Championships. He brought an end to India's 19-year-long wait for a medal at the World Athletics Championships and also became the first athlete from the country to win a medal in the Olympics and World Championships.