Neeraj Chopra Aims for Gold at Paris Olympics 2024
Paris, France – Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to defend his title at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Neeraj, who won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, made a huge throw of 89.34 meters in the qualification round, securing his spot in the finals.
The final will be held on Thursday at 11:55 pm IST. Neeraj successfully surpassed the qualification mark of 84.00 meters. However, the competition will be tough, featuring athletes like Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic, Julian Weber from Germany, Anderson Peters from Grenada, and Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan.
Arshad Nadeem, one of Neeraj’s closest rivals, joined him in the finals with a season-best throw of 86.59 meters. Neeraj and Arshad have a healthy rivalry, with Neeraj leading their head-to-head record 9-0. However, Arshad’s best throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games is ahead of Neeraj’s top effort.
Neeraj’s first attempt in the qualification round was his second-best throw ever, with his top throw being 89.94 meters at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022. Now, Neeraj aims to reach the 90.00-meter mark in the final to retain his gold medal.
Speaking about the differences between the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, Neeraj mentioned that the weather in Paris is cooler and less humid. He also noted that defending his title serves as a motivation for him. Neeraj said, “Being defending champion is motivation and I need to be prepared. The mind should be focused on doing the job at hand.”
Neeraj’s mother, Saroj, expressed her hopes for gold, saying, “The preparations are going very well. He has worked very hard. We are hoping for gold. We are all happy.” His father, Satish Kumar, added, “We are all very excited. Neeraj will give his best to live up to the expectations. Everyone in the village is happy and waiting for his match.”
Earlier this year, Neeraj won the gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 in Turku, Finland, with a throw of 85.97 meters. He also secured a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League and a gold medal at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar.
Doubts Revealed
Neeraj Chopra -: Neeraj Chopra is a famous Indian athlete who throws a javelin, which is a long spear-like object.
Paris Olympics 2024 -: The Paris Olympics 2024 is a big sports event where athletes from all over the world compete in different sports. It will be held in Paris, France in the year 2024.
Javelin thrower -: A javelin thrower is an athlete who competes in a sport where they throw a long spear called a javelin as far as they can.
89.34 meters -: 89.34 meters is the distance Neeraj Chopra threw the javelin to secure his spot in the finals. It’s almost as long as a football field.
Jakub Vadlejch -: Jakub Vadlejch is a javelin thrower from the Czech Republic who will compete against Neeraj Chopra in the finals.
Julian Weber -: Julian Weber is a javelin thrower from Germany who will also compete in the finals.
Anderson Peters -: Anderson Peters is a javelin thrower from Grenada, another competitor in the finals.
Arshad Nadeem -: Arshad Nadeem is a javelin thrower from Pakistan who will compete in the finals.
Paavo Nurmi Games -: The Paavo Nurmi Games is a track and field event held in Finland where athletes compete in various sports, including javelin throw.
Doha Diamond League -: The Doha Diamond League is a big athletics competition held in Doha, Qatar, where top athletes from around the world compete.