Ashish Yadav won a silver in the men’s javelin throw event to open India’s medal account on the third day of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA.

Yadav’s third-round throw of 74.09m fetched him the silver medal, while T. Dharanidharan, the other Indian in the fray in the men’s javelin throw finals, finished sixth with 72.35m.

The 19-year-old Yadav became the second Indian, after two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, to win a silver in the event.

Chopra had won gold and set the still-standing world junior record of 86.48m in the 2016 edition in Poland.

The gold medal went to South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans, who sent his spear to 80.50m, the season’s U20 world lead, in his sixth and final attempt.