India's javelin bronze at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya was thrown with a borrowed implement, lent to Rohit Yadav by Neeraj Chopra, the two-time defending champion who was not at the Games.
Yadav threw 84.35m in the final, and credits the javelin in his hand, which was one of Chopra's and carried his signature.
The sequence began in June, when Yadav won gold at the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar with a personal best of 87.05m. Returning to his training base at NIS Patiala, he found that his preferred javelin had bent, apparently during air transit in its protective PVC tube in the aircraft's cargo hold.
He competed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a borrowed implement instead, finishing seventh with 81.56m in cold, windy conditions. With the Asian Games approaching, he faced the same problem again.
"For the Asian Games, I didn't have my own javelin. My preferred one was damaged and had bent. While coming to Delhi from Patiala for the Indian Athletics Final Series on Sept 10, I spoke to Neeraj bhai," Yadav told The Times of India.
"We have been in regular touch. I knew he had returned to India for rehabilitation. I told him I didn't have a javelin of my own for the Asian Games," he said. "He immediately came to my rescue and sent me one of his signed javelins through a private taxi service to the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium."
Chopra, the Olympic and world champion, had withdrawn from the remainder of the season, including the Asian Games, to recover from an ankle ligament injury, leaving India without its two-time defending champion in the event.
There was a procedural complication. Yadav could not use the javelin at the Delhi meet, because it had not been registered with the Technical Information Centre for inspection. He borrowed another registered implement for that competition and packed Chopra's for Japan.
"At the Asian Games, I registered two javelins with the TIC. But I used the one Neeraj bhai gave me. I had a good grip and hold over it, and with that javelin I made the winning throw to secure bronze with 84.35m," he said.
He intends to keep it. "I will remain thankful to Neeraj bhai. I have kept that javelin with me and will use it in future competitions as well," Yadav said. Chopra sent a congratulatory voice message after the final.
Yadav is spending the off-season at home in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, until Diwali. "I want to earn a Diamond League entry, compete internationally and qualify for the World Championships next year. The ultimate target remains the Los Angeles Olympics," he said. The account was reported by Sabi Hussain for The Times of India.
The paperwork from Nagoya is unusually clear about what was registered. Two javelins were presented to the Technical Information Centre. They were inspected. They were cleared for use in the final.
The athletes were not inspected by the Technical Information Centre, because the Technical Information Centre inspects implements. This is the correct division of responsibility, and it produces an interesting result. Of the parties that reached the final, only the javelins held a formal certificate of eligibility.
Our analysts at the Department of Unnecessary Research have followed the documents to their conclusion. The javelin that travelled 84.35m had been registered, inspected, cleared and used. It belonged to the two-time defending champion. On the record kept in Nagoya, it was the only accredited participant in the final with a previous title in the event.
We do not suggest that Chopra competed. He has withdrawn from the season and was in rehabilitation throughout. We note only that his equipment did not withdraw, that it was processed through the proper channels, and that it placed third.
Neeraj Chopra did not travel to Nagoya. His javelin arrived by taxi, was registered, inspected and cleared, flew 84.35 metres, and took the bronze.