Neeraj Chopra Secures Spot in Final with Season-Best Throw

Defending Olympic champion and World Championships gold medalist Neeraj Chopra demonstrated his prowess with a remarkable throw of 89.34 meters in Group B of the men’s javelin throw qualification round at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, securing his spot in the finals.

Neeraj’s throw of 89.34 meters on his first attempt marked his best throw of the season and his second-best throw ever in a men’s javelin event. His top throw remains the 89.94 meters he achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. The final is scheduled for Thursday at 11:55 pm IST.

Successfully breaching the qualification mark of 84.00 meters, Neeraj showcased why he remains a formidable force in the sport. “I am thrilled with my performance today. It gives me confidence going into the finals,” Neeraj said after his impressive throw.

Joining Neeraj in the finals is his close rival, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who registered his season-best throw of 86.59 meters. Despite Neeraj’s dominant 9-0 head-to-head record against Arshad, the Pakistani thrower’s personal best of 90.18 meters, achieved at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, remains a significant benchmark.

Meanwhile, Asian Games silver medalist Kishore Jena finished ninth in Group A of the men’s javelin throw qualification round, missing out on advancing to the medal round. Jena’s best attempt of 80.73 meters fell short, with only the top 12 athletes across both groups A and B moving forward to the finals.

Reflecting on his performance, Jena remarked, “I gave my best today, but it wasn’t enough. I will learn from this experience and come back stronger.”

The athletics community now eagerly awaits the finals to see if Neeraj can replicate his Tokyo success and bring home another gold for India.