One of India’s brightest medal hopes at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Neeraj Chopra, will be gearing up to defend the gold medal he won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Neeraj comes into the event with a season-best of 88.36m (his personal best is 89.94m) and is currently ranked number two in the world.
The 26-year-old registered a season best throw of 89.34m in the qualification round held on 6th August, finishing ahead of his competitors. The finals is scheduled for 8th August.
The javelin throw event is expected to be highly competitive this time around. Here are some of Neeraj’s top rivals and medal contenders at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Arshad Nadeem - Pakistan
Arshad Nadeem, of Pakistan, competes during the men’s javelin throw qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan has competed strongly with Neeraj Chopra in the past at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Nadeem finished fifth in Tokyo, and though he does not have a world rank, he comes into the Olympics with a personal best of 90.18m and a season best of 84.21m.
The 27-year-old registered a season-best 86.59m on his first throw to qualify for the final.
Jakub Vadlejch - Czechia
Jakub Vadlejch, of Czechia, competes during the men’s javelin throw qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch ran Chopra the closest in Tokyo, winning silver. Vadlejch comes into Paris ranked number one in the world. He has a personal best of 90.88m and a season best of 88.65m.
The 33-year-old too qualified for the final with a single throw, registering a 85.63m throw, ahead of the automatic qualification mark of 84m.
Julian Weber - Germany
Julian Weber, of Germany, competes during the men’s javelin throw qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
The number three in the world rankings is currently occupied by Julian Weber of Germany, who finished fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His personal best is 89.54m and his best for the season is 88.37m.
The German qualified for the final with a throw of 87.76m throw.
Anderson Peters - Grenada
Anderson Peters of Grenada in action during the Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification at the Paris 2024 Olympics. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Anderson Peters currently occupies the number 6 position in the world rankings and holds a chance of competing at the Paris Olympics. His personal best is an impressive 93.07m.
Peters was the closest to Neeraj in the qualification round, registering a season best 88.63m throw in the qualification round.
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