Neeraj Chopra: India’s Pioneer in Olympic Athletics Gold
At the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, held in 2021, Chopra entered the men’s javelin competition amidst formidable rivals. Although not the preeminent favourite for the gold, he led the qualifying round with an impressive 86.65m throw before dominating the final. He clinched the gold with a remarkable throw of 87.58m, becoming the first track and field athlete from India to win gold at the Olympics.
My aspiration was always the Tokyo Olympics. I dedicated myself to the rigorous training and believed in the process, as every effort is vital for success at the highest level,” Chopra articulated after his landmark victory.
Neeraj Chopra: A Meteoric Ascent to Stardom
Chopra’s Olympic triumph epitomised a sporting journey that commenced when he was merely 13 years old. As a budding athlete, he embraced sports to tackle weight issues and bolster his self-esteem. He was introduced to javelin throw after observing the sport at the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat. Indian javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary recognised his potential and mentored him to become a formidable force on both national and international stages.
Chopra swiftly crystallised his talent. In 2016, he won gold at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, with a record-breaking throw of 86.48m, which remains the under-20 world record. He then secured the Asian title in 2017, followed by gold at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games.
Following his Olympic victory, Chopra earned a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in 2022 and a historic gold in Budapest in 2023, becoming India’s first world champion in any athletics discipline. He added another gold to his collection at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
“They say a lion always steps back before attacking. I think a setback in an athlete’s life is akin to that,” Chopra remarked.
Neeraj Chopra at Paris 2024 Olympics: Javelin Throw Schedule and Event Times for India
India’s Neeraj Chopra will be competing in the men’s javelin throw event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, starting at the Stade de France from Tuesday.
The Indian javelin throw prodigy is the reigning Olympic and world champion in the event. At Tokyo 2020, the 26-year-old won the gold medal in men’s javelin throw, becoming the first Indian to ever medal in an athletics event at the Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic javelin throw event will be available for live streaming and telecast in India.
At Paris 2024, javelin throw events, like all field events, will be conducted in two phases – the qualification round and the final medal round.
The field of 32 will compete in two groups – A and B – in the qualifying round. Athletes can directly make the cut for the final by achieving the pre-approved entry standard of 84.00m.
If fewer than 12 manage to hit the automatic qualifying mark, the next highest-ranked athletes from the qualifiers, up to a total of at least 12, will be included in the final. If more than 12 hit the entry standard in the qualifying round, all who achieve the mark will advance to the final.
Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification Groups at Paris 2024 Olympics
Group A:
- Julius Yego (Kenya)
- Oliver Helander (Finland)
- Leandro Ramos (Portugal)
- Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Kishore Jena (India)
- Teura’itera’i Tupaia (France)
- Julian Weber (Germany)
- Roderick Genki Dean (Japan)
- Alexandru Mihaita Novac (Romania)
- Dawid Wegner (Poland)
- Toni Keranen (Finland)
- Ihab Abdelrahman (Egypt)
- Curtis Thompson (USA)
- Patriks Gailums (Latvia)
- Pedro Henrique Rodrigues (Brazil)
- Jakub Vadlejch (Czechia)
Group B:
- Neeraj Chopra (India)
- Gatis Cakss (Latvia)
- Max Dehning (Germany)
- Cameron McEntyre (Australia)
- Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan)
- Marcin Krukowski (Poland)
- Lassi Etelatalo (Finland)
- Nnamdi Chinecherem (Nigeria)
- Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil)
- Moustafa Mahmoud (Egypt)
- Artur Felfner (Ukraine)
- Timothy Herman (Belgium)
- Anderson Peters (Grenada)
- Andrian Mardare (Moldova)
- Edis Matusevicius (Lithuania)
- Cyprian Mrzyglod (Poland)
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