Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, World Athletics women’s field event athlete of the year are among the 23 athletes whose competition artefacts were inducted into the World Athletics Heritage Collection.

Chopra, who became India’s first Olympic gold medallist in athletics when he clinched the top podium finish at the Tokyo Games in 2021, has donated the competition t-shirt he wore at the Paris Games this year. The t-shirt is currently on display in the online 3D platform of the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).

Advertisement

With his second round throw of 89.45m, Chopra secured the silver in Paris behind Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who created an Olympic record with a 92.97m effort.

Mahuchikh, who broke the long-standing world high jump record with a leap of 2.10m at the Paris Diamond League in the Stade Charlety in July and went on to win the Olympic title in the Stade de France in August. She has donated her Paris Olympic singlet, name bib and shorts to the MOWA. Mahuchikh presented these items to Coe while attending the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco.

Besides Chopra and Mahuchikh, fellow Paris Olympic medallist Thea LaFond are among the athletes whose competition artefacts have been inducted into the heritage collection. LaFond, who won the Olympic triple jump title in Paris with a 15.02m national record to become Dominica’s first Olympic medallist in any sport, has given to the collection the crop top she wore when winning her Paris gold medal.

In 2024, LaFond was also crowned world indoor champion, winning that title with what was then a national record leap of 15.01m.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe lauded the athletes for donating their competition gear and medals.

“Keeping our Olympic collection up to date, we are proud to be announcing donations from a trio of Paris 2024 medallists: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (high jump), Thea LaFond (triple jump) and Neeraj Chopra. Thank you to the athletes who have so kindly donated their competition clothing, shoes and even medals to our museum’s collection in 2024,” said Coe in a statement.

“This year we have received historic Olympic-winning items from two icons of the 1960s, Wyomia Tyus and Billy Mills, and from 1980 Olympic 100m champion Allan Wells, plus the 2000 and 2008 Olympic heptathlon gold medallists, respectively Denise Lewis and Nataliia Dobrynska.

“With world record setting shoes and singlets from Filbert Bayi (middle-distance runner), David Rudisha (middle-distance) and Devynne Charlton (hurdler) also among this year’s inductions, it is worth reminding ourselves that there would be no collection, no Museum of World Athletics, without the athletes selflessly supporting our heritage programme. Thank you for your generosity,” he added.

Advertisement