Shyam Vasudevan
Aug 5, 2024, 03:09 PM
Neeraj Chopra begins his title defence of his Olympic title in javelin on Tuesday. The qualifications are on Tuesday, the final on Thursday.
In the past three years he's won and defended several titles, but nothing has been as big as this. He changed the narrative of Indian athletics sport when he won in Tokyo and a second medal will only add to his status.
What time is Neeraj's qualification?
The defending champion is throwing in Group B, which starts at 3:20 PM IST (Kishore Kumar Jena of India is in Group A and they throw at 1:50 PM)
What was Neeraj up to before the Paris Olympics?
He began the year in April at the Doha Diamond League with an 88.36m throw, his best of the year. He then competed, at about 60% of his operating capacity, at the Federation Cup [82.27m] before winning the Paavo Nurmi Games with a throw of 85.97m. In fact, his winning throws at the Federation Cup and Paavo Nurmi Games were among the lowest distances he has thrown since becoming Olympic champion.
The fact that Neeraj has competed in three events [out of which only one had a stacked field of competitors] in the run-up to Paris isn't ideal, but that's part of his approach to prioritise his health over competitions this year.
Was he injured? Should we be worried?
Not really. Neeraj had an adductor niggle but has insisted that he wasn't injured, he took a break from competition in between merely as a precautionary step. That's why he skipped the Ostrava Golden Spike in late May and the Paris Diamond League in July.
Neeraj had told ESPN that it was a conscious call. "I could have competed in more events for sure and that was the plan, but I have realized that my health is paramount, that comes first. Even if I feel the slightest discomfort or like I am pushing myself too much in training, I've learnt to pause for a bit."
He's been training constantly and if his Instagram feed is anything to go by, Neeraj is raring to go.
Who has the best throw in 2024?
German teen sensation Max Dehning has the best throw of 2024 - 90.20m. He became the first teenager to cross the coveted 90m mark but has seen a dip in form since. Neeraj has had all of 16 in-competition throws this year, yet his 88.36m attempt in Doha ranks as the fourth-best throw of the year.
Who are Neeraj's main competitors?
On form, Neeraj has three key competitors:
Jakub Vadlejch: The big man from Czechia who won silver behind Neeraj at the Tokyo Olympics. He's been one of the most consistent throwers since Tokyo and beat Neeraj to the Diamond League title in 2023. He's competed in five events this year and has a best throw of 88.65m.
Julian Weber: The German had finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and has since become Germany's top thrower in Johannes Vetter's absence. He's won the 2024 European Championships and Ostrava Golden Spike, has a season's best of 88.37m and will be a tough competitor for Neeraj in Paris.
Max Dehning: Well, he isn't exactly in great form but he could pose a tough challenge for Neeraj. The 19-year-old has done what Neeraj hasn't done - cross the 90m mark - and will be one to watch out for.
On pedigree, Neeraj has two more strong opponents
Arshad Nadeem: Neeraj's good friend and his strongest rival in Asia. Neeraj had beaten Nadeem at the 2023 Worlds and the Pakistani thrower, who has also gone past the 90m mark, is making a comeback from injury.
Anderson Peters: Two-time world champion, hungry to find form after a poor season in 2023. He's already got an 86.62m throw under his belt this season.
What happened to Johannes Vetter?
Johannes Vetter did not qualify for the Paris Olympics. Vetter was hitting 90m for fun before the Tokyo Olympics but since then, his best over the last three years has been 89.60m. He's been nursing a long-standing shoulder injury, competed in only one event in 2024 and did not make it for the Paris Games.
Two other Indian javelin throwers had qualified for the event
Neeraj, Kishore Kumar Jena and DP Manu qualified for the Paris Olympics...but Manu lost his spot after he failed a dope test at the end of June.
Jena is in Paris and will hope to find form again. He's been India's second-best thrower and won the Asian Games silver last year, but hasn't been able to replicate his form since.
Can Neeraj Chopra win gold at the Paris Olympics 2024?
Yes. Neeraj's consistency is his biggest weapon. He may not have crossed the 90m mark, yet he has won every major title while operating between that 87-89m. More often than not, there have been other throwers in the field with bigger throws than him, but that's never bothered Neeraj because as he has said multiple times, it all boils down to how well you throw and handle the pressure on the day.
