(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic and world champion in javelin throw, secured his first Gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games on Tuesday after a month-long hiatus from competitive events. Dominating a competitive field, Chopra achieved a winning throw of 85.97 meters on his third attempt, maintaining a significant lead throughout the competition.
Despite high expectations for 19-year-old German talent Max Dehning, who entered as the youngest member of the 90m club, he finished a disappointing seventh among the eight participants.
On Tuesday, Max Dehning struggled to breach the 80m mark, achieving a best throw of 79.84m.
Toni Keranen, the local favorite, secured silver with a personal best of 84.19m, while fellow Finn Oliver Helander, the 2022 gold medalist, took third place with 83.96m.
Neeraj Chopra opened with a throw of 83.62m, setting a benchmark that none of his competitors could surpass in the initial round.
Helander briefly led with an 83.96m throw in the second round, but Chopra swiftly reclaimed the top position with his outstanding 85.97m throw, which remained unmatched for the rest of the event.
Chopra, aged 26, immediately sensed the significance of his throw, celebrating with raised hands and his trademark roar, a gesture synonymous with his strong performances.
With this impressive performance, Chopra solidified his status as a frontrunner for the gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics next month.
However, his throw of 85.97m fell short of the 89.30m that had earned him a silver at this event two years ago. Chopra's personal best stands at 89.94m, achieved at the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League in the same year.
Among other notable competitors, two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada finished fourth with 82.58m, while 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago placed sixth after reaching a season's best of 81.93m.
Chopra had skipped last month's Ostrava Golden Spike as a precaution due to discomfort in his adductor muscles.
He began his season at the Doha Diamond League in May, clinching second place with a final throw of 88.36m, marking the ninth-best performance of his career.
Chopra also competed in the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he secured the gold medal with a throw of 82.27m, though it was below his usual standards.
Following the Paavo Nurmi Games, Chopra's next appearance will be at the Paris Diamond League on July 7. He opted out of the National Inter-State Athletics in Panchkula scheduled for June 27 to manage his schedule leading up to the Olympics.
MENAFN18062024007385015968ID1108347908
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.