Neeraj Chopra, DB Manu and Kishore Jena all in action at the World Athletics Championships. (Credit: Twitter)
The Indian javelin team had a field day today to begin the World Athletics Championships campaign in style as Neeraj Chopra, DP Mani and Kishore Jena all qualified for the final following a series of stunning performances.
The Indian javelin team had a field day today to begin the World Athletics Championships campaign in style as Neeraj Chopra, DP Mani and Kishore Jena all qualified for the final following a series of stunning performances.
The season-best distance of 88.77m saw Chopra breach the Paris Olympic qualification mark of 85.50m.
The Indian national record holder sent the spear to his season’s and fourth career-best distance in his very first attempt while competing in Qualification Group A.
A total of 37 javelin throwers, divided into two groups – A and B – are competing in the qualifiers for a place in the 12-man final, scheduled on Sunday. The automatic qualifying mark is 83.00m.
Those who throw 83m or the top 12 best performers from both Groups A and B qualified for Sunday’s final.
It is a historic three Indian entries in the men’s Javelin Throw final at the World Athletics Championships. Neeraj Chopra topped qualification with 88.77m, DP Manu was sixth with 81.31m and Kishore Kumar Jena was ninth with 80.55.— G Rajaraman (@g_rajaraman) August 25, 2023
The 25-year-old entered the championships as the world’s top-ranked javelin thrower and eyeing that elusive gold medal both for his personal medals cabinet and the country.
Chopra sailed into the final posting a season’s best mark of 88.77m, over six metres further than the second-best throw of his group, Germany’s Julian Weber.
Chopra’s teammate DP Manu had the third-best throw of the group with 81.31m and also progressed.
Kishore Jena joined them after posting a mark of 80.55m in his group.
The debutants joined Neeraj Chopra in the Men’s Javelin Throw Final as they stood 6th and 9th respectively overall. This is the first time three Indian athletes have qualified for the javelin finals altogether.
Chopra, 25, said he had sensed he was in top form when he arrived at the stadium.
“I was able to save energy for the final since I threw with only 90 per cent effort,” he said.
“I will definitely give everything in the final as I would like to have a world gold as well.
“I hope we make our country proud again. Of course, the pressure is higher on me but I like these challenges.”
Chopra could be set for a cracking duel with Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem, who topped Jena’s qualifying group with 86.79m.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)
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