Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in World Athletics Championship
Departed with coach Salman Butt; participating in javelin throw. Competing in qualification...
Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra, a great javelin thrower for India, qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 on Friday after throwing 88.77 meters, the best throw of the season and his first attempt at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
In addition, he earned a spot in the World Athletics Championship final, which will take place on Sunday, by winning Group A in the preliminary round.
Julian Weber of Germany came in second with a best throw of 82.39 meters.
DP Manu of India qualified for the final as well after placing third with throws of 78.10 meters, 81.31 meters, and 72.40 meters.
Jan Zelezny, a three-time Olympic champion from the Czech Republic, had earlier supported Chopra to shatter his 98.48-meter world record throw.
“I think Neeraj has already achieved so many things at such a young age. He is the Olympic champion. For an athlete, that is the greatest competition you can win. He is also a World championship silver medalist. There is still a lot of time for him to achieve even more. Soon, another Olympics will be held and he is among the candidates for the gold,“ Zelezny told the media.
“Neeraj just needs to stay healthy. Besides this, it is just a matter of time. There is no reason why he could not get that 90m throw. He is young and talented and knows how to manage pressure well. After winning the Olympics, he became a superstar and he handled it perfectly. Again, if he stays healthy he is going to throw even more than 90m,“ he added.
Chopra, meanwhile, admitted in a YouTube video from last year that he is a fan of Zelezny as well.
“When I searched for the javelin world record, I came across Jan Zelezny. When I saw his throw of 98.48 meters, I instantly knew he was the best in the world and started following him,” he said in the video.
Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan will also compete later today during the qualification round.
To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BOLUrduNews/.
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/bolnewsurdu01 and stay updated with the latest news.
Catch all the Sports News, Breaking News Event and Latest News Updates on The BOL News
Download The BOL News App to get the Daily News Update & Live News.