Few people have surpassed Usain Bolt in the twenty-first century, including Indian Neeraj Chopra. According to World Athletics, the gold medalist in the men’s javelin event at the Tokyo Olympics has surpassed Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt as the track and field athlete with the most media attention in 2022.
According to World Athletics, Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra will replace the charismatic Bolt, who retired in 2017. Bolt still holds the world records for the 100- and 200-metre sprints.
Chopra had a fantastic year, finishing second at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, becoming the first athlete from his country to win the Diamond League final in the javelin, and becoming only the second Indian to win a global medal after Anju Bobby George’s bronze medal in the women’s long jump in 2003.
According to data from media analysis firm Unicepta, 812 articles were written about Chopra, which is more than the 751 articles written about Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (698) and Shericka Jackson, the women’s 200-metre world champion (679).
“It is an interesting one. For the first time this year Usain Bolt has not led the list of the most written about athletes of the year,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said news agencies.
“For me it is a fabulous example of resilience and fortitude and simple determination to stay at the top of their game and they (athletes) have done that. It is primarily through their efforts that athletics has really started to grow again in popularity and gained more broadcast hours,” Coe continued.
Bolt, who has won the sprint double at three consecutive Olympics, still contributes significantly to sport promotion, according to Coe, but his time is limited due to the numerous sponsorship and publicity deals he has secured since retiring from the track.
According to Coe, the increased exposure for other athletes was due reward for a “really challenging year” that “we did not plan for,” as the world championships were moved a year later to accommodate the pandemic-delayed Olympics.
