 "Paavo Nurmi Games: Neeraj Chopra clinches gold medal in men's javelin throw event")
Returning to competitive action after a month due to a niggle, reigning Olympic javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra clinched gold medal at the 2024 Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on Tuesday. Neeraj finished with a best throw of 85.97m in his third attempt and was in the lead for a large part of the event on Tuesday.
The competition also featured 19 year-old German Max Dehning, who in February had become the youngest to breach the 90m mark. Neeraj, on the other hand, bettered his record from 2022, when he had won a silver medal. Max, however, finished in seventh out of eight athletes with a score of 79.84m.
Home favourite Toni Keranen claimed the silver medal with a personal best throw of 84.19m, while his compatriot and 2022 gold-medallist Oliver Helander took the third spot with 83.96m.
Chopra started with 83.62m, which could not be topped by any of his competitors in the first round of throws. Helander took the top spot with a second-round throw of 83.96m but Chopra soon toppled him with 85.97m, which remained unmatched for the rest of the competition.
THE GOLDEN THROW. ✨🤩#NeerajChopra #PaavoNurmiGames #TeamIndia #BharatArmy pic.twitter.com/NYAJ9nbgIL
— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) June 18, 2024
The 26-year-old knew that his effort was special the moment he sent the spear flying as he raised his hands in celebration and let out a trademark roar that has come to be an indicator of his solid performances.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWith Tuesday’s power-packed show, Chopra also staked his claim as a gold favourite at the Paris Olympics next month.
However, the distance covered was nowhere close to the 89.30m with which he managed to win a silver at this event two years ago. Chopra had improved that mark to 89.94m at the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League in the same year.
Among others, two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada finished fourth with 82.58m, while 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago was further down at sixth after managing to clear a season’s best of 81.93m.
Chopra had withdrawn from last month’s Ostrava Golden Spike as a precautionary measure after he ”felt something” in his adductor (a group of muscles located on inner thighs).
He began his season at the Doha Diamond League in May, where he finished second with his final throw of 88.36m, the ninth best mark of his career.
Chopra also participated at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he secured the gold medal with an underwhelming effort of 82.27m.
After the Paavo Nurmi Games, Chopra will next be seen in action at the Paris Diamond League on July 7.
He has opted out of the National Inter-State Athletics in Panchkula to be held from June 27 to avoid a hectic schedule ahead of the Olympics.
With PTI inputs
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