New Delhi: Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra needed just one throw to book his place in the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships, clearing the automatic qualifying mark in Budapest on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old, a two-time Olympic medallist, launched his spear to 84.85m on his very first attempt in Group A, comfortably surpassing the qualification standard of 84.50m.
Having sealed his berth, Chopra called it a day while others battled for the remaining spots. The final is scheduled for Thursday.
Group A featured strong contenders including Germany’s Julian Weber, who topped the round with 87.21m, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, Czech thrower Jakub Vadlejch, and India’s Sachin Yadav.
Group B will see Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, two-time world champion Anderson Peters, former world title-holder Julius Yego, Brazillian Luiz Da Silva, and Indian throwers Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh vie for qualification.
Rising Sri Lankan talent Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage is also in the fray.
Chopra, who clinched gold in the last edition with a throw of 88.17m, is aiming to join an elite group of javelin legends to successfully defend the world title.
ALSO READ: Rs 23 lakh seized from bank lockers of arrested ACS officer Nupur Bora
Only Czech great Jan Zelezny, now Chopra’s coach, and Grenada’s Peters have achieved back-to-back World Championships triumphs.
This edition also sets the stage for Chopra’s much-anticipated rematch with Nadeem.
The two last faced each other at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, where Nadeem stunned the field with a massive 92.97m throw to claim gold, leaving Chopra with silver despite a strong 89.45m effort.
The Indian ace will now be eager to turn the tables on his rival in their next showdown.
