Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is among the five finalists named in the World Athletics’ Men’s World Athlete of the Year 2023.
The final five: Announced on Tuesday, Chopra, 25, is joined on the list by Swedish American pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, 24; Kenyan marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum, 23; and Americans Ryan Crouser, 30, and Noah Lyles, 26. Crouser is a shot putter and discus thrower, while Lyles is a track and field sprinter.
The competition, which started with 11 participating athletes in the men’s category, will conclude with the announcement of a winner on Dec. 11 as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023 in Monaco.
How they got in: Chopra and the four other finalists were chosen through a three-way voting process, with the World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family casting their votes through email and around 2 million fans sending theirs on social media. The voting part ended on Oct. 28.
Making history: Chopra made history on Aug. 27 by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. He was also the first Indian to win a gold medal in the sport at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018, which he successfully defended at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October.
Chopra also became the first Indian track and field athlete to win a gold medal in javelin throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“It feels unbelievable,” Chopra said after winning his Olympic gold medal. “This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time, and in athletics it is the first time we have gold, so it’s a proud moment for me and my country.”
