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Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra faced tough conditions but still managed to clinch a silver medal, while Yashvir Singh surprised everyone by winning a bronze with his final throw during the Commonwealth Games on Friday.

The 28-year-old, who is the reigning champion from the Tokyo Olympics, achieved a season-best throw of 85.83 meters on his second attempt, securing him second place. This performance slightly surpassed his previous best of 85.69 meters, which he recorded while finishing fourth at the Doha Diamond League on June 19, his only other competition this season.

Yashvir, at just 24 years old and making his debut at the Games, stunned the crowd with a personal best throw of 85.41 meters in his sixth and final attempt, allowing him to join Chopra on the podium. His earlier best was 83.72 meters, and he had been in seventh place before his remarkable final throw, which improved upon his third attempt of 81.33 meters.

Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage took home the gold medal with a throw of 89.75 meters, achieved in his second attempt. This impressive throw was particularly notable given the cold and windy conditions under which the athletes competed. Pathirage is the only javelin thrower this season to have surpassed the 90-meter mark, with a personal best of 92.62 meters recorded during the Rome Diamond League in June.

Chopra returned to competition after dealing with a lower back injury that had affected him since September of the previous year. This injury delayed his participation until the Diamond League in Doha. This was his second appearance at the Commonwealth Games, where he previously won gold in 2018 in Gold Coast.

He acknowledged that he is still not fully fit but is gradually improving. "I can’t say my fitness is back to where it was, but I’m making progress. There’s still time before the Asian Games, and I plan to compete in the Diamond League before then, which should help me improve further," Chopra stated after his event.

Chopra expressed satisfaction with his comeback from injury, saying, "While we always hope to hear the national anthem, I achieved my season best, and my return is going well. There are more competitions ahead, and I’m content with my performance."

He noted that the weather conditions were better than the previous day, although it became colder and windier later on. "I had only one good throw; I thought it would go further, but it didn’t. I’m working on finding my rhythm, but these conditions are challenging for me; I prefer warmer weather... (I’m) Indian blood," he added. Yashvir shared his joy about standing on the podium alongside Chopra, saying, "I’m thrilled to have achieved my personal best and earned a medal in such conditions."

The third Indian competitor, Rohit Yadav, finished in seventh place with a best throw of 81.56 meters. Notably, athletes from the Indian subcontinent swept all the medals in the men's javelin throw event at the Games. However, Pakistan’s defending champion and Olympic gold medalist was eliminated after three rounds, with a best throw of 77.41 meters.

Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago finished sixth with a throw of 82.55 meters. Chopra's attempts included an opening throw of 80.97 meters, followed by his best of 85.83 meters. His subsequent throws measured 81.29 meters and 80.73 meters, while his last two attempts were fouls.

Chopra briefly led the 12-athlete field until Pathirage's impressive throw of 89.75 meters in his second attempt allowed him to take the lead, which he maintained throughout the competition. Interestingly, all of Pathirage's other five attempts were fouls. The 23-year-old has been in exceptional form, winning seven out of eight competitions this season, including Diamond League titles in Doha and Rome, and finishing second in Rabat, Morocco.