Neeraj Chopra is unstoppable, creates history again
Neeraj Chopra: (Image Source: Twitter)
Neeraj Chopra, who made headlines after bagging historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics, broke his own record at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. With a stunning throw of 89.30m, Neeraj Chopra shattered his national record and placed him second at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on Tuesday.
Chopra’s return to the competitive even was no less than outstanding. Making his return after 10 months, he nearly breached the 90m mark, which is considered as the gold standard in the world of Javelin throw.
Previously, he had set a national record of 88.07m. He set that record in Patiala in March last year. For the unversed, Neeraj Chopra bagged the gold in Olympics with a throw of 87.58m on 7th August 2021.
Chopra opened with an impressive 86.92m before sending the spear to 89.30m. His next attempts, though, wee resulted in fouls. In his 6th and the final throw, Chopra came up with 85.85m.
Interestingly, Finland’s 25-year-old Oliver Helander bagged the gold after securing the best throw of 89.30m.
Reigning world champion, Anderson Peters of Grenada, who was touted as the favourite secured a throw of 86.60m as his best effort. He boasts of a monster throw of 93.07m.
2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago was placed at fourth with the best throw of 84.02m. followed by Germany’s Julian Weber (84.02m) and Czech Republic’s Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (83.91m), who had won silver in Doha with a throw of 90.88m.
Chopra’s rival and friend Johannes Vetter of Germany, who has a maximum number of 90m-plus throws among the active javelin throwers, was set to take part in the Paavo Nurmi Games but had withdrawn.
Notably, more than 10,000 people turned up to watch the game. Neeraj Chopra’s next assignment will be in the Kourtane Games in Finland on Saturday where he is currently based. Earlier, he had trained in USA and Turkey. He shifted his base to Finland, last month.
