Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable throw also guaranteed him a direct berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics, which mandates a minimum distance of 85.50m for qualification. But, meeting the entry standards of the Olympics is just one part of the selection process, the final decision on whether an athlete will secure a spot in the NOC team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games rests with the National Olympic Committee.

Apart from Neeraj Chopra, only Germany’s Julian Webber (82.39m) managed to throw the javelin beyond 80 meters in the first round.

The star of the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra missed the gold in the last edition of the World Athletics Championships and came second behind Anderson Peters who displayed subpar performance during the qualification A round this year as he threw 78.49m after three attempts.

India’s other rising star in Javelin Throw DP Manu made his best throw at a distance of 81.31 meters finishing third behind Julian Webber. DP Manu also has a great chance of qualifying for the World Athletics Championships finals unless 9 other athletes throw better than him during qualification B.

Strong amid atmospheric conditions 

Neeraj Chopra’s stunning throw comes amid all other athletes struggled with atmospheric conditions characterized by dense air and conflicting crosswinds which were restricting their throw. These conditions posed challenges in achieving extended javelin distances.

Neeraj Chopra is eyeing gold this year and he has all the chances in the world of achieving it with a remarkable track record. He is a recipient of gold medals in both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, in addition to his triumphant feat as a Diamond League champion and a glittering gold medal in Tokyo Olympics.

Updated: 25 Aug 2023, 03:26 PM IST