Star India javelin thrower and World Championships gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will be aiming to repeat his Tokyo 2020 heroics and retain his title at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Thursday. Chopra registered a huge throw of 89.34 meters in Group B of the men’s javelin throw qualification round at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, securing his place in the finals. The final will take place on Thursday at 11:55 pm IST. He successfully surpassed the qualification mark of 84.00 meters.
However, the competition will be fierce, with notable contenders including the Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, the 2020 silver medalist; Julian Weber of Germany, the 2022 European Champion; and two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, a close rival of Neeraj, also qualified for the men’s javelin final with a season-best throw of 86.59 meters. Neeraj and Arshad have developed a healthy rivalry over the years, with Neeraj holding a 9-0 head-to-head record. However, Arshad’s best throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games surpasses Neeraj’s top effort.
Chopra’s first attempt during the qualification round was his second-best all-time throw at a men’s javelin event, with his top throw coming at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 at 89.94 meters. It was also the 26-year-old’s best throw in any qualification round. Neeraj now aims to reach the much-discussed distance of 90.00 meters in the final to retain his gold.
After his qualification throw, Chopra compared the conditions in Tokyo 2020 to those in Paris this year, noting that it is cooler and less humid in Paris. “In Tokyo, we threw in the sunshine, and here it’s a bit cooler with much less humidity. Tokyo was warmer and more humid than Paris. The big difference is that there are crowds here,” said Neeraj. On the challenge of defending his title, Neeraj stated: “Being the defending champion is motivating, and I need to be prepared. The mind should be focused on doing the job at hand.”
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Regarding his throw in the qualification round, Neeraj acknowledged that while his throw was good, the final will be the “real deal.” “The final will be a cracker; the Tokyo final mark has already been surpassed by qualification. We were a little relaxed today. The burden and pressure will be much more in the final,” he added.
Chopra also addressed his injury concerns, saying: “I have had a few issues with my groin, which is why I did not participate in many competitions. It is important to stay fit and reach the final.”
Ahead of the final clash, Neeraj’s mother, Saroj, told ANI, “The preparations are going very well. He has worked very hard. We are hoping for gold. We are all happy.”
His father, Satish Kumar, also expressed excitement, saying, “We are all very excited. Neeraj will give his best to live up to the expectations. Everyone in the village is happy and waiting for his match.” Chopra won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw competition at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 athletics meet in Turku, Finland, earlier in June with a throw of 85.97 meters, achieved on his third attempt.
Neeraj Chopra, the reigning world and Olympic champion, was competing in his third event of the year. On his road to defending his crown at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Neeraj began his season with a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League on May 10 with a throw of 88.36 meters.
He then won the gold medal at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar five days later with a throw of 82.27 meters, marking his first competition in India since becoming an Olympic champion. Neeraj was also scheduled to compete at the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet in Czechia in late May but did not participate as a precautionary measure after a muscle tweak during training.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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