Uttar Pradesh's Rishab Nehra had waited years for this moment. At the National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi, the 25-year-old finally broke the 80m barrier with a brilliant throw of 80.12m, winning gold and becoming the 17th Indian to join the prestigious 80m club.
His series was a mix of steady throws and fouls: 72.26m, 76.19m, 80.12m, foul, 70.46m, and foul. But the third attempt was magical the javelin flew high and long, landing beyond the 80m line and rewriting his personal best of 77.38m from 2022.
This throw wasn't just about numbers for Rishabh, it was about proving a point. "When I couldn't throw 80m, I used to think about quitting javelin. Many times I thought maybe I should take a job and leave this," he admitted to mykhel.
But his coach, Sandeep Singh the same man who discovered Asian Championships medalist and World Championships finalist Sachin Yadav kept pushing him forward.
That faith paid off. During the competition, Sandeep reminded Rishabh to give his best on the third attempt. And in that moment, everything came together. "It feels really good. A lot of hard work has gone into this. I just followed the plan my coach gave me, and today it all worked," said a relieved Rishabh.
In the final standings, Uttam Patil won silver with 78.01m and Shivam Lohakare claimed bronze at 77.98m. Lohakare, just 20, had already crossed 80m earlier this season with a personal best of 80.95m.
For Rishabh though, Ranchi was the night of redemption a reward for patience, struggle, and belief. The 80m mark, once a frustrating dream, is now part of his story.
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