'Your legacy grows stronger with every step'

Neeraj Chopra, on Thursday, became on the second track and field athlete from India to win two Olympic medals after bagging the silver medal in the javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics.

Chopra, 26, failed to defenn his Olympic crown but finished on the podium with a season best throw of 89.45m on Thursday night at a packed Stade de France.

Despite a strong performance on his second attempt, he struggled with four consecutive foul throws. But the Olympian's persuit for excellence didn't go unrecognised as he received accolades from all quarters.

2008 Olympic gold medallist shooter, Abhinav Bindra took to his official X handle and thanked Neeraj for inspiring every Indian to dream big.

'Neeraj, your journey today was nothing short of a hero's tale. The way you carried the hopes of a billion hearts, your unwavering spirit shining brightly, fills us all with immense pride. Winning silver, you've shown us that the pursuit of greatness is a relentless journey, one filled with passion, dedication, and belief. Thank you for inspiring every Indian to dream big and reminding us that gold is always within reach. Your legacy grows stronger with every step. Congratulations to Arshad Nadeem on his historic gold and breaking the Olympic record,' Abhinav Bindra wrote on X.

Star pistol shooter Manu Bhaker, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics in the Paris Games, also lauded Chopra for his feat.

'ONWARDS AND UPWARDS! He has done it once again, this time in Paris. @Neeraj_chopra1 you are truly one in a million. Congratulations on yet another medal at the Olympics!!,' Bhaker tweeted.

'Heart of GOLD gave us a Silver lining today. @Neeraj_chopra1 your hard work dedication perseverance and above all Humility is something all athletes need to emulate. ..Congratulations and best wishes for LA2028... I'll be cheering for you...CHAMPION,' Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang said.

'Back-to-back Olympic medals for our star, Neeraj Chopra! India's first silver medal at the #Paris2024 Olympics, and what a way to achieve it! You might have fallen short of the gold, but your commitment and effort in the final were really inspiring!' BCCI secretary Jay Shah said.

Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir said, 'The icon never returns without bringing joy to every Indian!#NeerajChopra.'

'Congratulations to Neeraj Chopra for clinching the silver medal at the Olympics. Your perseverance and passion continue to inspire the nation. You've shown once again that there are no limits to achieving dreams through hard work and dedication,' India pacer Mohammed Shami wrote.

'Congratulations #NeerajChopra on winning the silver medal at the #ParisOlympics. Amazing effort to win two back to back olympic medals,' former Indian batter VVS Laxman wrote.

'Your dedication, hard work, and passion have brought immense pride to our nation once again! Congratulations @Neeraj_Chopra1 on winning the silver in javelin at the #Paris2024! Your journey inspires a billion, and we celebrate this incredible achievement with you! #JaiHind,' Legendary Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth said.

Former Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga wrote on X: 'A huge applause to Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra for bringing gold and silver medals in the men’s Javelin throw at the 2024 Olympics to South Asia. Your incredible achievements make the entire region proud!'

• THE OLYMPICS, 2024