India’s star athlete Neeraj Chopra donated a t-shirt he donned at the Paris Olympics 2024 to the World Athletics Heritage Collection. Neeraj was the only Indian among 23 athletes whose artefacts were inducted into the prestigious collection in Monaco.
Neeraj claimed a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw event at the Paris Games in August, and his jersey is currently on display in the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) ‘s online 3D platform. He was tipped to defend his gold medal but finished second behind Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem with his season-best throw of 89.45m.
Ukraine’s star high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won the Women’s Athlete of the Year 2024 award, has also donated her Paris Olympics jersey to the heritage collection. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe lauded the Paris Olympics winners who donated their winning artefacts to the museum.
“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,” WA president Sebastian Coe said in a statement. “Thank you to the athletes who have so kindly donated their competition clothing, shoes and even medals to our museum’s collection in 2024.
“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.”