Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra qualifies for javelin throw finals; WATCH monster first throw of 89.34m
Defending champion Neeraj Chopra secured his place in the men's javelin throw final of the Paris Olympics 2024 with a remarkable season's best throw of 89.34 meters on Tuesday.
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FollowDefending champion Neeraj Chopra showcased his exceptional talent by advancing to the men's javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a season-best throw of 89.34m on his first attempt in the qualification round on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old easily surpassed the automatic qualifying mark of 84m, securing the top spot in Group B, reminiscent of his stellar performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chopra's throw, the second-best of his career, alleviated concerns about his fitness after he disclosed an adductor niggle in the lead-up to the Games. His personal best remains 89.94m, achieved in 2022. In contrast, fellow Indian athlete Kishore Jena fell short of the finals, recording a modest 80.73m.
Pakistan's Commonwealth Games champion, Arshad Nadeem, also qualified for the finals with an impressive 86.59m throw. Grenada's Anderson Peters joined the finalists from Group B with a throw of 88.63m.
Chopra's standout performance was brief yet dominant, perfectly encapsulated by the phrase, 'he came, he threw, he conquered.' Earlier, Jena's 80.73m throw in the Group A qualification round left him in ninth place, eliminating him from the finals.
Julian Weber of Germany led Group A with a throw of 87.76m, followed by former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya (85.97m) and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia (85.63m). Toni Keranen of Finland also advanced with a throw of 85.27m.
Jena had earned his Olympic spot with a silver medal throw of 87.54m at the Asian Games last year, but he had only crossed the 80m mark once in six competitions leading up to the Olympics.
With Chopra leading the charge for India, attention will now turn to the final where he will look to continue his dominance and add another Olympic gold to his collection.
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