After the historic gold medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Neeraj Chopra has become a household name in the Indian subcontinent. Neeraj’s triumph in Tokyo resulted in India bagging their first ever medal in the Track and Field event at the Olympics.
Neeraj participated in the Javelin throw. His 87.58 meter throw in the final round proved to be his crowning moment at the championships.
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He also became the second only Indian after the legendary Abhinav Bindra to bag an individual gold while representing the Indian tri-colour at the Olympic Games. Bindra bagged India’s first-ever individual Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He won the gold competing in the 10-meter Air Rifle event.
With the rise in social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X on the rise in the previous decade, Neeraj’s success story spread like wildfire, earning him a huge following in India.
The 26-year-old has become a sensation back in the homeland and has recently managed to make a first-place podium finish off the field as well. Neeraj will be competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics and will undoubtedly be India’s top medal contender at the event.
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Neeraj Chopra becomes the most followed track and field athlete on Instagram
Neeraj’s fan following increased dramatically after his gold in Tokyo, and considering India’s massive population it wasn’t going to be long before the athlete started breaking social media records.
Neeraj reached 9 Million followers on his Instagram recently, four million clear of second-placed Alica Schmidt. Here’s a list of the most followed track and field stars on Instagram.
| Athlete | Account handle | No. of followers | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neeraj Chopra | @neeraj____chopra | 9,000,000 | India |
| Alica Schmidt | @alicasmd | 5,000,000 | Germany |
| Sha'Carri Richardson | @itsshacarri | 3,000,000 | USA |
| Eluid Kipchoge | @kipchogeeliud | 2,500,000 | Kenya |
| Fred Kerley | @fkerley99 | 1,200,000 | USA |
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