Neeraj Chopra is aiming to secure a consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics, hoping to replicate his Tokyo 2020 success.
The Indian javelin thrower and World Championships gold medalist advanced to the finals with a throw of 89.34 meters in the men’s javelin qualification round on Tuesday.
The final is scheduled for Thursday at 11:55 pm IST, with Chopra surpassing the qualification mark of 84.00 meters.
The final will be highly competitive, featuring athletes such as Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, the silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, Germany’s Julian Weber, the 2022 European Champion, and Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters.
Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, a significant rival of Chopra, will also be competing, having qualified with a season-best throw of 86.59 meters.
Despite Arshad’s best throw of 90.18 meters in the 2022 Commonwealth Games surpassing Neeraj’s personal best, Chopra has dominated their head-to-head record 9-0.
Chopra’s throw in the qualification round was his second-best ever, just shy of his top throw of 89.94 meters from the 2022 Stockholm Diamond League.
He now aims to reach the much-discussed 90.00 meters mark in the final to defend his title.
Reflecting on the differences between the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, Chopra noted that the weather in Paris is cooler and less humid compared to Tokyo’s warmth and humidity.
He mentioned that the presence of crowds in Paris is a significant change.
Chopra emphasized that defending his title motivates him and that he needs to stay focused for the final.
He also acknowledged that while his qualification throw was strong, the real challenge lies in the final, where the pressure will be greater.
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Chopra also addressed his injury concerns, revealing that he had been dealing with groin issues, which affected his participation in several competitions.
Despite this, staying fit and reaching the final is crucial for him.
Ahead of the final, Chopra’s mother, Saroj, expressed optimism about his performance, noting his hard work and hoping for gold.
His father, Satish Kumar, shared excitement and confidence in his son’s ability to meet expectations.
Earlier in June, Chopra won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, with a throw of 85.97 meters.
This was his third event of the year, following a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League with an 88.36-meter throw and a gold medal at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar with an 82.27-meter throw.
Chopra had to skip the Ostrava Golden Spike meet due to a minor muscle injury sustained during training.
