World Athletics Championship: Neeraj Chopra qualifies for finals with 88.77m throw, seals Paris Games berth
World Athletics Championship: Neeraj Chopra enters final with 88.77m throw
Olympic gold medalist in javelin throw, India’s Neeraj Chopra qualifies for finals of the ongoing World Athletic Championship in Budapest, Hungary, with a massive 88.77-metre throw – best of the lot and season. With this throw, Neeraj, who reigned supreme at the Tokyo Olympics two years back, has sealed his ticket for the 2024 Paris Summer Games.
Neeraj attained this mark in his first attempt, as none of the remaining participants in Group A crossed the 83.0 mark, while fellow Indian DP Manu achieved81.31m (in his second attempt) and stood third. Germany’s Julian Weber finished second with his best throw of 82.39m.
Manu’s qualification for the finals is still not ensured as it will depend on the results from Group B, where Kishore Jena is taking part.
Meanwhile, a total of 37 javelin throwers are divided into two groups – A and B, with each eyeing to finish for a place in the 12-man final, scheduled to take place on Sunday. The automatic qualifying mark is 83.00m.
- Neeraj Chopra - 88.77m (Q) - SB
- Julian Weber (GER) - 82.39
- DP Manu (IND) - 81.31
- Dawid Wegner (POL) - 81.25
- Toni Kuusela (FIN) - 79.27m
- Roderick Dean (JPN) - 78.57
- Anderson Peters (GRN) - 78.49
- Julius Yego (KEN) - 78.42
- Patriks Gailums (LAT) - 77.43
- Kenji Ogura (JPN) - 76.65
- Capers Williamson (USA) - 76.10
- Douw Smit (RSA) - 75.03
- Felise Sosaia (FRA) - 74.80
- Curtis Thompson (USA) - 74.21
- Leandro Ramos (POR) - 74.03
- Gatis Cakss (LAT) - 73.42
- Pedro Rodrigues (BRA) - 72.34
Neeraj eyes to break 90m barrier
Following winning India’s maiden gold medal in Athletics at the Summer Games in the previous edition in Tokyo with an 87.58m throw, India’s newest star headlined the Diamond League last year in Stockholm with his career-best throw of 89.94, coming close to reaching the 90m-mark.
A man on a mission, Neeraj eyes to break that barrier to remain in contention for the gold medal in Paris next year.
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