In his first try to qualify for the men's javelin final, Tokyo Olympics champion Neeraj Chopra threw a season-best...
Digital Desk: The Olympic gold champion threw 88.77m in his first attempt after finishing 18th in Group A of the men's javelin qualification at Budapest's National Athletics Centre in Hungary. Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo Olympics champion, needed only one throw to qualify for the men's javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Friday.
It was much above the 83.0m automatic qualification mark. Neeraj, dressed in a blue Indian jersey, stepped onto the pitch with his spear in hand and flung it beyond the yellow line to secure a place in the final. It's the world's second-best throw of the season.
Neeraj Chopra opening throw in qualification 88.77m. He has qualified for medal round.
Automatic qualification 83m. Or best 12 advance to final#Budapest2023 #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/fRQaTrBTI0
Jakub Vadlejch, a Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, will compete in Group B of qualification on Friday with a season-best throw of 89.51m.
Notably, in the 2022 global Championships in Oregon, Chopra came close to becoming India's first global champion in any athletics event but had to settle for a silver medal after finishing second to Grenada's Anderson Peters.
It was, however, India's first-ever silver medal at the World Athletics Championships, as well as the country's second medal at the global tournament, following Anju Bobby George's bronze medal in the long jump in Paris in 2003.
This season, Neeraj Chopra is ranked third among men's javelin world leaders. With a best attempt of 88.67m, which he won in the Doha Diamond League in May, Neeraj trails Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (89.51m) and Germany's seasoned Julian Weber (88.72m).
However, the Indian javelin champion has never won the World Athletics Championships' top medal. Neeraj now will be looking for that elusive gold medal for both his own medals collection and his country.
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