Neeraj Chopra secures Javelin final spot with 89.34m throw at Olympics

Neeraj Chopra Olympics 2024: Defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra qualified for the javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics with a 89.34m throw at the Stade de France. This marks Chopra's best-ever throw at a global championship and his second-best overall, behind his 89.94m throw in Stockholm at the Diamond League. He qualified on his first attempt amidst a season marked by an adductor niggle.

Neeraj Chopra is on a quest to become the first Indian to win two gold medals in an individual Olympic event and just the fifth man in Olympic history to defend his javelin gold.

The finals will happen on August 8 at 11:50 pm. Despite participating in only three events this year, the 26-year-old world champion has shown remarkable form, standing as a strong contender even as his international rivals have struggled to perform at their best.

Neeraj Chopra Breaks 85-meter jinx

Since winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics, Chopra has only thrown below the 85-meter mark twice in 15 events, showcasing his reliability.

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem qualifies for Finals along with Neeraj Chopra

Pakistan's javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem also qualified for the finals along with India's Neeraj Chopra in Paris Olympics.

Kishore Jena Fails to Qualify

Another Indian athlete, Kishore Jena, participated in the men's javelin competition but failed to qualify for the finals with a throw of 80.73 meter. Jena secured automatic qualification with a throw of 87.54 meters at the Asian Games but has had difficulty surpassing the 80-meter threshold recently.

With a throw of 88.36 meters, Chopra secured second place at the Doha Diamond League in May, marking his season's best. However, an adductor issue led him to withdraw from the Ostrava Golden Spike event on May 28 as a precautionary measure.

"Something in my adductor felt off," Chopra said, explaining his cautious withdrawal from Ostrava. Yet, he made a solid comeback with a throw of 85.97 meters at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on June 18.

Chosen not to participate in the Paris Diamond League on July 7, Chopra explained this event was not part of his schedule this year. His coach reassured everyone about Chopra's fitness, stating, "His adductor is well right now," and that Chopra has been undergoing high-intensity training.

Neeraj Chopra's Major Opponents

Major competitors for Chopra include Germany's Julian Weber, former world champion Anderson Peters, and Czech thrower Jakub Vadlejch. Vadlejch won silver in the Tokyo Olympics and defeated Chopra in the Doha Diamond League.

Chopra’s ambition to become the first Indian to win two gold medals in an individual event at the Olympics and join the ranks of Eric Lemming, Jonni Myyra, Jan Zelezny, and Andreas Thorkildsen remains within reach as he heads into the finals. This elite group of athletes successfully defended their gold medals in the men’s javelin at the Olympics in their respective eras, making Chopra’s goal a significant milestone for Indian sports history.