New Delhi: Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, made a stunning entry into the final of the World Athletics Championships 2023 Javelin throw event with a season-best throw of 88.77m on Friday, August 25. He also secured his spot for the Paris Olympics 2024 with his brilliant performance.
Neeraj achieved the automatic qualification mark with his first attempt in the Group A round, which was almost a foul but he managed to stay within the boundary by a hair’s breadth. He topped the list of qualifiers with his massive throw.
His fellow Indian D.P. Manu also kept his hopes alive for the final, he opened with a throw of 78.10m, and improved it to a remarkable 81.31m in his second attempt, climbing to the third place in the Group A qualification list. Neeraj remained at the top with his colossal throw.
Neeraj’s previous season’s best was 88.07m, which he threw at the Doha Diamond League. His personal best is still 89.94m, which he recorded at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. He will be aiming to break the 90m barrier before the Olympics.
While Neeraj confirmed his place in Sunday’s final, D.P. Manu also had a chance to make it to the final 12. Manu threw 81.31m in his second attempt, but could only manage 72 odd meters in his third attempt. However, after the Group A qualifying event was over, only Neeraj had achieved the automatic qualification.
The Group B qualifying round will start at 3:15 PM IST, India’s Kishore Jena will try to stay in the final 12 spots, and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will also participate in Group B.
The final list of qualifiers will be decided after the Group B qualification throws are completed, based on the aggregate of all the athletes. The top 12 best Javelin throwers will qualify for the final.
Neeraj won the silver medal last year, but he will be eyeing to upgrade it to gold this Sunday, after sending a strong message with his first throw.
