With 7 of the world's best javelin throwers out, Neeraj Chopra could possibly win India's first-ever gold medal in athletics

Neeraj Chopra made a mark on his Olympic debut as he qualified for the finals with the best throw among all the competitors. On his very first attempt, Chopra recorded a mind-boggling throw of 86.65 meters to make his way into the next round.

His monster throw would have certainly given him all the confidence he needs for the final. With many top raked throwers out either due to injury or failing to qualify, Chopra looks like one of the favorites to win gold.

With the likes of Rio Olympic bronze medallist Keshorn Walcott failing to qualify and last edition's gold medallist Thomas Rohler missing out due to injury, Neeraj Chopra just needs a throw above 85m to clinch a spot in the podium.

If the 23-year-old from Panipat can outdo his personal best of 88.07, chances are he will register post-independent India's first ever Olympic medal in Athletics. The colour might even be gold!

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Neeraj Chopra is all set to compete for gold

Neeraj Chopra is currently ranked 16th in the world. The Indian has consistently breached the 85-meter mark and even bettered his personal best. Chopra recorded a stunning throw of 88.07 meters at the Indian Grand Prix in March 2021, which is the fourth-best this year.

Check Out: Tokyo Olympics 2021 Schedule

He has also worked on his technique and strength, which has helped him throw even better this year. Knowing that he is at the peak of his career, the Indian will hope to add an Olympic medal to cement his place among the greatest field event athletes in Indian athletics.

"In the village where I grew up, no one did athletics. For a lot of my life, I didn’t even know what a javelin was."For Indian star @Neeraj_chopra1, success on the global stage is forging a path for the next generation to follow.🇮🇳

— SPIKES (@spikesmag) June 3, 2021

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Top 10 ranked Javelin throwers in the world

Rank	Name
1	Johannes Vetter
2	Magnus Kirt
3	Chao-Tsun Cheng
4	Andreas Hofmann
5	Anderson Peters
6	Marcin Krukowski
7	Jakub Vadlejch
8	Thomas Rohler
9	Julian Weber
10	Keshorn Walcott

From the list above, only three competitors have been able to make it to the finals. Among the 10 above Kirt, Cheng, Hofmann, Peters, Krukowski, Rohler and Walcott have either failed to qualify or are not attending the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

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Why does Neeraj Chopra look like a contender for gold?

One and done. Neeraj Chopra qualifies for the Olympic javelin final with his very first throw in qualification. 86.65m places him ahead of Johannes Vetter who was considered the gold medal favorite going in. pic.twitter.com/GikpC8RZH2

— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) August 4, 2021

Neeraj Chopra has been absolutely brilliant this year. The Indian has also been consistent in his performances at international competitions. Chopra's ability to constantly throw around the 85-meter mark makes him the favorite to clinch gold in Tokyo. The Haryana thrower has successfully thrown over 80m in his last 22 throws.

Best throws of the season

Rank	Competitor	Throw-distance
1	Johannes Vetter	96.29 meters
2	Marcin Krukowski	89.55 meters
3	Keshorn Walcott	89.12 meters
4	Neeraj Chopra	88.07 meters
5	Gatis Cakss	87.57 meters
6	Andrian Mardare	86.66 meters
7	Arshad Nadeem	86.38 meters
8	Rocco Van Rooyen	85.97 meters
9	Michael Shuey	85.97 meters
10	Aliaksei Katkavets	85.10 meters

From the above list, only four players have made it to the finals in Tokyo. The good news for Indian fans is that Johannes Vetter is the only athlete to record a better throw this year than Chopra of the athletes still in contention.

The odds seem to favor the Indian. However, Chopra will have to put in an even better performance in the final if he wants to overcome the challenge posed by Vetter.

Vetter facing technical issues

Despite Vetter's brilliance this calendar year, he has only managed a throw of 85.64m, which is over a metre lesser than that of Neeraj. The German finished third in the overall standings behind Pakistan's Arshad Naddem, who has become an overnight star in his country.

Speaking to journalists after the qualification round, Johannes Vetter said he had been struggling a bit with his technique for some time now. He said:

“The conditions are the same for everybody. I’ve been struggling a little bit with my technique for a couple of weeks and I am trying to fix it on to Saturday. I want to give my best on Saturday, and then we will see how far it goes.”

Vetter's technical issues has definitely increased Chopra's odds of winning the gold medal in Tokyo

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When is the Javelin throw final?

The Javelin throw final is scheduled to be played on 7 August. The event is set to start at 4:30 PM IST.

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Olympics 2021: Where to watch the Javelin throw final?

Sony Sports network holds the official broadcasting rights for the Olympics in India. The games will be telecast on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony Six. Live streams of the event will be available on the Sony LIV app. Doordarshan will also broadcast all the Indian events at Olympics 2021.

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