Friday’s morning action at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest proved a fiesta for Indian male javelin throwers as all three of them, headed by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, reached tomorrow’s final. 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. The automatic qualifying mark was 83.00m. The 25-year-old Indian did not go for his next two attempts.
Chopra’s teammate D P 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. 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 percent 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.”
The distance of 88.77m also saw Neeraj Chopra breach the Paris 2024 Olympic entry standard in javelin throw. The qualification window for the Paris 2024 Olympics for track and field athletes began on July 1, 2023. The entry standard for the men’s javelin throw event for the upcoming Summer Games is 85.50m.
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.
Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic came third with a distance of 83.50. European champion Weber threw 82.39m to come fourth. The 2022 world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada had an off day and his best throw measured 78.49m. He missed out on a place in the final after finishing 16th in a field of 36.
Ukraine have had little joy thus far but the high jump offers hope of a golden ending to the championships. Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Iryna Geraschenko, will bid to bring some joy to their compatriots back home in high jump final after qualifying.
Mahuchikh seeking to win gold after two world silvers eased into the final, jumping 1.92m. Her teammate Iryna Geraschenko also made the final, squeezing in with a best jump of 1.89m, leaving the Olympic finalist deflated at her performance but prepared to up her game for the final.
“Psychology is a huge part of our event,” said Geraschenko. “I will be much stronger in the final, jumping with a calm and cool head. It should be a great final and I would like to be part of the battle.”