1. Neeraj Chopra launched an 89.43m throw in his Paris Olympics javelin qualifier.
2. His throw was a season’s best and the second-best of his career.
3. Chopra emerged as the top contender to defend his Olympic title.
Paris, Aug 09: Neeraj Chopra made an explosive entry into the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s javelin final, launching a massive 89.43m throw in his first qualifying attempt, marking his season’s best and the second-best throw of his career.
His performance positioned him as the top contender to defend his Olympic title. However, in the final, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem shattered expectations with an Olympic-record throw of 92.97m, pushing Neeraj to a silver medal finish.
Despite his impressive 89.45m throw in the final, Neeraj couldn’t surpass Nadeem’s remarkable performance. Nadeem’s victory made him Pakistan’s first Olympic medalist since 1992, while Neeraj became India’s first athlete to win a silver medal in javelin at the Olympics.
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Though proud of his achievement, Neeraj expressed a sense of unfinished business, vowing to return stronger in future competitions.
Neeraj acknowledged that his injury concerns, particularly a niggling adductor issue, affected his performance, leading to five fouls in the final.
Despite these challenges, he remains determined to achieve even greater heights in his career, stating, “There is a lot left in me. Unless I achieve that, I won’t be at peace.”
