Yash Vir Singh, India's newest javelin throw sensation, had a day to remember on Friday as he clinched the bronze medal in the men's final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow.
In the final, Yash Vir Singh kept his best for the last as he completed a throw of 85.41m in his final attempt. That attempt also became his personal best. Yash Vir Singh began the final with a foul throw, before attempting distances of 78.55m and 81.33m.
He endured another foul throw in his fourth attempt, but ensured that he finished off on a high with throws of 76.95m and 85.41m.
He finished behind his compatriot Neeraj Chopra, who clinched silver with a throw of 85.83m, and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga, who won gold with a throw of 89.75m in his only successful attempt.
Who is Yash Vir Singh?
Yash Vir Singh was born on 22 October, 2001 and hails from Jaipur. Yash Vir Singh initially played basketball in a bid to get fitness, and then later transitioned to javelin throw. “I initially played basketball just to get fit and then started off with a bamboo javelin. Once I picked up the technique, I switched to a standard javelin,” the 24-year-old said in an interview with The Indian Express in 2022.
Yash's father, Rai Singh, was a former national-level javelin thrower. Rai has supported his son in his sporting journey and believes that hard work will translate into results.
“There is nothing special in our training. We spend a lot of time training, and eat right. When I was an athlete, I made a lot of mistakes and I just ensure that my son doesn’t go down the same road,” Rai Singh said in the same interview.
In January 2021, Yash broke Neeraj Chopra's record of 76.91m at the U20 Federation Cup as he registered a throw of 78.68m.
At the Indian Grand Prix 4 held in May 2022, Yash Vir Singh breached the 80m mark for the first time with a throw of 82.13m. That throw helped him clinch the gold medal.
In 2025, he competed in the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea's Gumi. He finished in fifth place following a throw of 82.57m, which was then his personal best.
He competed at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo via the World Rankings quota, but endured a disappointing run after he finished 15th in the qualification round with a throw of 77.51m, thus failing to advance further.
After Friday's final, Yash Vir Singh said that he didn't think too much ahead of his last throw.
"At one point I had thrown around 81.33 metres. I looked at the results and bronze was around 82 metres. Then I thought, I’ve already thrown over 82 in competition before, I can do it again.
"But till the fifth throw it just wasn’t happening. Before the last throw I just thought, whatever happens, happens. Then the last one came out really well," Yash told reporters after the Commonwealth Games javelin throw final in Glasgow on Friday.
