At the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Park Main Stadium in the People’s Republic of China, Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw competition for the Asian Games 2023, while Kishore Kumar Jena took home the silver. Neeraj Chopra successfully defended his Asian Games title after his first throw was ruled out due to technical difficulties at the venue with a season’s best of 88.88m on his fourth try. After taking first place in Jakarta in 2018, this was the Indian javelin ace’s second gold medal from the continental competition.
The biggest surprise of the evening, however, was Kishore Kumar Jena, who not only won his first significant international medal in Hangzhou but also twice that same night reset his personal record. In the Hangzhou 2023 men’s javelin throw standings, Kishore Kumar Jena temporarily led Neeraj, but with his third throw, he recorded 86.77 metres, breaking his previous personal best of 84.77 metres from the Budapest world championships earlier this year. His fourth throw saw him raise it to 87.54 metres, which ultimately earned him the silver medal in Hangzhou.