Neeraj Chopra Advances to Men's Javelin Finals with 2nd-best Throw

Neeraj Chopra, the defending Olympic champion, Influenced in the men’s javelin qualification round at the Paris Olympics, gaining a place with a remarkable throw of 89.34 meters. At Stade de France, he showed his season-best performance on his first attempt, finishing the events within 10 minutes of time.  

Competing in Qualification Group B during the afternoon session, Chopra’s throw exceeded his previous season’s best of 88.36 meters, recorded earlier at Doha Diamond league. This new mark not only sets a personal season best but also surpasses his gold medal-winning throw from Tokyo 2021, which was 87.58 meters.

Chopra’s performance set a strong precedent for the competition, signaling his rivals in Paris. He maintained his calmness throughout the warm-up before delivering his outstanding throw. 

In a closely observed event, Germany’s Julian Weber topped Qualification Group A with a throw of 87.76 meters. Nonetheless, Chopra made a notable impression with his opening effort. 

Alongside Chopra’s success, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem also obtained automatic qualification with a season-best throw of 86.59 meters. Nadeem, the 2023 World Championship silver medalist, is the only active Asian javelin thrower to surpass 90 meters, making him a key competitor for Chopra in the final scheduled for August 8. 

Unfortunately, Indian javelin thrower Kishore Jena could not make it, finishing ninth in Qualification Group B with a best throw of 80.73 meters, missing the top 12 needed and points to Qualify for further points. As the javelin finals draw near, attention will completely focus on Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem as they are desired for the Olympic medals.