Tokyo: Defending champion Neeraj Chopra made a statement of intent at the World Athletics Championships, qualifying for the men’s javelin throw final with ease on Wednesday. The 27-year-old two-time Olympic medallist cleared the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m on his very first attempt, hurling the javelin to 84.85m in Group A.
Chopra, the first thrower of the qualification round, packed up immediately after securing his place in Thursday’s final. Athletes who cross the 84.50m mark or finish among the top 12 overall progress to the medal round.
The Indian star has been clubbed alongside German ace Julian Weber, who topped the group with an impressive 87.21m throw, as well as Keshorn Walcott, Jakub Vadlejch, and Sachin Yadav in the 19-member Group A. Group B features Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego, Luiz Da Silva, Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Sri Lankan youngster Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.
Chopra will be looking to defend the gold medal he won at the previous edition in Budapest, where he recorded a throw of 88.17m. Nadeem (87.82m) and Vadlejch (86.67m) had claimed silver and bronze in that event.
If successful, Chopra would become only the third male javelin thrower in history to defend a World Championships title, joining Czech legend Jan Železný (1993, 1995) — who is now his coach — and Anderson Peters (2019, 2022).
Thursday’s final will also see Chopra face Nadeem for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the Pakistani star won gold with a massive 92.97m throw, leaving Chopra with silver at 89.45m. The Indian champion will be keen to settle scores and reclaim his dominance on the world stage.
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