Neeraj Chopra Begins Title Defence at Paris 2024 Olympics

India's Neeraj Chopra starts his javelin throw title defence at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Having set a season's best of 88.36m this year, he faces strong competition from top contenders like Jakub Vadlejch, Anderson Peters, and Arshad Nadeem among others in the final.

India's golden boy Neeraj Chopra will kick off his men's javelin throw title defence at the Paris 2024 Olympics from the qualification round on Tuesday. The reigning Olympic and world champion boasts a season's best of 88.36m, set at the Doha Diamond League in May, and holds the national record of 89.94m, achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in June 2022.

With top-level competition experience, the 26-year-old Chopra is widely expected to advance through the qualification round. The real challenge, however, will begin on Thursday when he could face a formidable line-up of rivals in the final. Among the top contenders will be Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia, Grenada's Anderson Peters, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, Julius Yego of Kenya, Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, and Finland's Oliver Helander, making the stakes high at the Olympics.

Germany's Max Dehning holds the world-leading mark of 90.20m, achieved in February. Although he has not gone past the 82m mark since then, his personal best still makes him one of the top contestants. The qualification round will determine the line-up for Thursday's men's javelin throw final, with athletes achieving the qualifying mark of 84.00m progressing to the final. If fewer than 12 athletes meet the 84.00m mark, the next highest-ranked athletes, up to a total of at least 12, will be included in the final. Should more than 12 athletes achieve the standard, all will move on to the final round.

Neeraj Chopra's top rivals at Paris 2024 include Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who won silver at last year's World Championships and gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 with a massive 90.18m throw. Julian Weber of Germany, the reigning European Games champion, has a personal best of 89.54m and season's best of 88.37m. Finland's Oliver Helander, with a season's best of 85.75m, Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott, and Kenya's Julius Yego, are also strong contenders, adding to the high stakes for the Olympic title.

(With inputs from agencies.)