Neeraj Chopra(Bengaluru: Crowned Olympic champion) put up a good show in the qualification round of the men’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics today where he higher his season’s best throw of 89 to make it into the finals. 34 meters. Which placed him directly into the finals scheduled for August 8, a sign of intent the 26-year-old athlete exhibited that he intends to bring the title home.
Regrettably, the other Indian competitor Kishore Jena achieved a score of 80. 73 meters and as a result did not qualify for the finals. The qualification standard was put to a level of 84. 00 meters. Chopra’s consistency got Jena, the Asian Games silver medallist from Odisha, going again after poor showings in the year 2022 had made her contemplate quitting the sport. He completed his group with an overall position of nine.
The last one is expected to be an exciting competition with Neeraj’s Czech rival Jakub Vadlejch who also ensured his place with a throw of 85. 63 meters. Vadlejch as of now has a personal best of 99. 88 meters. Germany’s Julian Weber has been even more precise in securing 87. Of course with the inclusion of a 78-meter attempt, the quality of the competition rises to new heights.
Neeraj Chopra who is a medal favorite in a track and field event has established himself in doing his best during major events, which makes him exceptional. Other qualification norms were achieved by Group B’s Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan who cleared the qualification with a seasonal best of 86. 59 meters. Grenadian athlete Anderson Peters achieved a throw of 88 considering it as the season’s best throw. 63 meters, this would prove to be one of the most competitive qualification rounds of the year, where five of the participants recorded their season’s best in the final rounds.
India has observed much disappointment in the Olympics; it has been let off thrice and has been a fourth-place team several times. Birgit Kormillos had expected Lakshya Sen to clinch the bronze medal while the mixed skeet shooting team of Ananjeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan lost their bronze medal playoff, and wrestler Nisha Dahiya got injured and lost her 68kg quarterfinal bout. However, there is one good thing that will make Indians look forward to in the track and field events and this is Chopra’s excellent performance.
Report By: Sonali Sarkar
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