The opening day of National Junior Athletics Championships 2025 produced a lot of excitement in Indian athletics circuit as Haryana's Himanshu Jhakar broke a long-standing record held by the Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.
During the U-18 Boys' Javelin Throw (700g) event at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar on October 11, Jakhar threw a whopping 79.96m to breach Chopra's record.
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Previously, Chopra held the record for over 11 years with his 76.50m throw in the same event in Vijaywada, 2014. Alongside Chopra's record, Jakhar also breached the world U18-leading mark in the event in the calendar year 2025.
Who is Himanshu Jakhar who broke Neeraj Chopra's 11-year-old record?
Himanshu Jakhar, who hails from Haryana, is the Asian U18 champion. In April, he became India's first-ever Asian Championship winner after registering the gold medal-winning 67.57 meters in Saudi Arabia.
The 17-year-old won gold in the recent Kelo India Youth Games 2025 with an effort of 73.71m. His 72m throw at the National Youth Athletics Championship in Patna also won him gold earlier this year.
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Touted as one of the next big things in India's track and field scene, Jakhar has previously been spotted training alongside two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra.
Watch his throw below:
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