India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra qualifies for finals of men’s javelin throw event at Paris Olympics

Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the finals of the men's javelin throw event at Paris Olympics 2024 on Tuesday. He sailed to the final round with first throw of 89.34 metres. He will now compete in the final on the August 8 at 11:55 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

Much like his performance in the Tokyo Olympics, the 26-year-old crossed the automatic qualifying mark of 84m in his opening throw itself. Chopra holds the national record of 89.94m, achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in Sweden in June 2022.

Following Neeraj Chopra, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem also qualified for men's javelin final with a throw of 86.59m. Nadeem won the silver medal at the World Championships last year and gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 with a massive 90.18m distance. Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem is one of the most anticipated India vs Pakistan rivalries in athletics.

However, it was a heartbreak for India's Kishore Jena, who failed to make it to the final in his maiden Olympics appearance.

The other Indian in fray, Kishore Jena, is unlikely to make the 12-man final after managing a best throw of 80.73m. Indian javelin thrower and Asian Games silver medalist Kishore Jena finished ninth in the Group A of men's javelin throw qualification round, failing to advance to the medal round at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Kishore's best attempt of 80.73 m could give him only the ninth spot. Only four competitors from group A advanced to the medal round. And to advance to the final round for the medal, the athlete will have to finish among the top 12 best athletes across both groups A and B, as per Olympics.com.

Jena's best attempt was his first throw. His second attempt was not deemed valid, and his third attempt was only 80.21.

(With inputs from agencies)