Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra saved India’s hopes of an elusive Olympic medal from observe and area occasions alive by incomes a direct qualification into the finals with a surprising throw of 86.65m that put him on the highest of the Group A contest, right here on Wednesday.
Competing in his first Olympics, the 23-year-old Chopra took just some seconds to make to the ultimate spherical to be held on Saturday as he despatched the spear effectively previous the qualifying mark of 83.50m in his first try.
Chopra’s efficiency will go down as among the finest performances by an Indian within the Olympics, as he completed forward of gold medal favorite and 2017 world champion Johannes Vetter of Germany.
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Vetter, who had earlier mentioned that Chopra will discover it robust to beat him within the Olympics, struggled in his first two throws earlier than crossing the automated qualification mark with a 85.64m closing throw.
The 28-year-old towering German, who got here into the Olympics after having seven monster throws of 90m-plus between April and June, was mendacity at a harmful seventh place after his first two throws however ultimately certified for the ultimate at second.
Finland’s Lassi Etelatalo additionally superior to the ultimate as an automated qualifier with a primary spherical throw of 84.50m.
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Those that contact 83.50m mark or the 12 finest performers qualify for the ultimate on Saturday.
Third better of season 2021
A farmer’s son from Khandra village close to Panipat in Haryana who took up athletics to shed flab on his physique, Chopra left the javelin area after his first throw, having secured his place within the closing simply.
The Indian athletics contingent, together with Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla and Klaus Bartonietz, the bio-mechanics knowledgeable in control of Chopra, had been cheering from the just about empty stands.
This was Chopra’s seventh finest throw and third better of the season 2021. The sooner six finest throws are 88.07m (March 2021; Indian GP-3), 88.06m (2018, Asian Video games), 87.87m (January 2020; ACNW Assembly in South Africa), 87.80m (March 2021; Federation Cup), 87.43m (Could 2018, Doha Diamond League) and 86.79 (June 2021; Kuortane Video games in Finland).
The reigning Asian Video games and Commonwealth Video games gold medallist had been in need of preparations within the run-up to the Olympics with simply three worldwide occasions, out of which just one was of top-class — Kuortane Video games the place Vetter took the gold and he completed third. Shivpal Singh, the opposite Indian within the fray, will attempt to qualify for the ultimate from the Group B {qualifications} later within the day.