Neeraj Chopra is Instagram's Latest Sports Sensation, Thanks to Tokyo Olympics Gold Medal

Indian Javelin star thrower Neeraj Chopra's historic gold-medal performance in the Olympics was one of the 10 magical moments of track and field at the Tokyo Games.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old Chopra won the country's first Olympic medal in athletics with the best throw of 87.58m, becoming only the second Indian to do so.

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"Prior to the Olympic Games, most ardent fans of the sport had heard about Neeraj Chopra. Chopra's popularity skyrocketed after winning the javelin in Tokyo, becoming India's first athletics gold medalist in Olympic history, "the world governing body claimed on its website.

According to WA, Chopra had 143,000 followers before the Olympics but now has 3.4 million (on Instagram), making him the most followed track and field athlete in the world.

Nadia Comaneci, a gymnastics icon, was among the former world stars who praised Chopra on Twitter.