India's Neeraj Chopra sets world record

18-year-old became country’s first athlete to win gold in athletics

India’s 18-year-old Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold at the IAAF World under-20 athletics championship in Poland.

In the process, he became the country’s first athlete to win gold in athletics. The Haryana-born athlete, who failed to qualify for the upcoming Rio Olympics, set a world record of 86.48m.

The young man bettered the previous U20 record of 84.69m held by Latvian Zigismunds Sirmais by nearly two metres.

The 18-year-old, who already won the gold at the South Asian Games in Guwahati earlier this year, managed to march ahead of his rivals with the 86.48m in his second attempt.

The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times