Defending Olympic champion and World Championships gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has secured his place in the men’s javelin final at the Paris Olympics with a remarkable throw of 89.34 meters in the Group B qualification round on Tuesday. This impressive performance, achieved on his first attempt, marks his best throw of the season.
Neeraj Chopra’s throw not only surpassed the qualification mark of 84.00 meters but also stands as his second-best career throw, just behind his 89.94-meter effort at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. This throw is also the best he has ever recorded in any qualification round.
The 26-year-old, who clinched Bharat’s sole gold medal in the last Olympics, continues to demonstrate his elite skills on the global stage. The final is scheduled for Thursday at 11:55 pm IST.
Joining Neeraj in the final is Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who qualified with his season-best throw of 86.59 meters. Nadeem, one of Neeraj’s closest rivals, has developed a competitive yet healthy rivalry with Neeraj, although the Indian athlete leads their head-to-head record 9-0. Despite this, Arshad’s top throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games surpasses Neeraj’s best effort.
On the other hand, Asian Games silver medalist Kishore Jena failed to make it to the medal round. Competing in Group A, Jena’s best throw was 80.73 meters, placing him ninth in his group. Only the top four from Group A advanced to the medal round, and Jena’s performance fell short of the required mark. His subsequent attempts were 80.21 meters and one invalid throw.
To advance to the final round for a chance at a medal, athletes must be among the top 12 across both groups A and B, as per the Olympic qualification criteria. Neeraj Chopra’s entry into the finals continues to raise hopes for another gold, while the competition, especially from rivals like Arshad Nadeem, ensures an exciting final.
Stay tuned for more updates on Neeraj Chopra’s journey as he aims to defend his title and add another gold to his illustrious career.
