Andrian Mardare: All you need to know about Neeraj Chopra's opponent in the men's javelin final at Paris Olympics 2024

Modified Aug 08, 2024 15:13 IST

Andrian Mardare: All you need to know about Neeraj Chopra's opponent in the men's javelin final at Paris Olympics 2024 (Image via Getty)

The men's javelin final at the Paris 2024 Olympics draws near, and the spotlight is not only on India's Neeraj Chopra but also on his opponent, Andrian Mardare from Moldova. Here's an in-depth look at Mardare's journey, achievements, and what makes him a contender to watch out for.

Mardare was born on June 20, 1995, in Nemțeni, Moldova. At 29 years old, Mardare has steadily progressed through the ranks. Mardare's early career saw a challenging start at the European Junior Championships in 2013, where he finished 14th in the qualification round. In 2014, Mardare clinched a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships.

2017 was a great year for Mardare. He won gold at the European Throwing Cup U23 and followed it up with a bronze medal at the European U23 Championships. Mardare's first senior title came in 2019 when he won gold at the Universiade with a throw of 82.40m

In 2021, he secured gold at the Championships of the Small States of Europe with a throw of 84.54m and even made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He managed to qualify for the finals and finished seventh with a throw of 83.30m.

Currently ranked World No. 8, Mardare has shown consistent improvement in his performance. During the qualification round at the Paris 2024 Olympics, he threw his season-best of 84.13m to secure his place in the finals.

Andrian Mardare's Medals and Achievements

European U23 Championships

Poland 2017 - Bronze

European (Winter) Throwing Cup

Croatia 2021 - Silver

Andrian Mardare's World Ranking

Andrian Mardare is currently the World No. 8 javelin thrower.

Andrian Mardare vs Neeraj Chopra: Head to Head

Andrian Mardare and Neeraj Chopra competed against each other 14 times, with Chopra coming out on top on all occasions. Their most recent encounter before the Paris Olympics 2024 qualification round was at the Paavo Nurmi Games in June 2024, where Neeraj Chopra finished first to secure a gold medal with an 85.97m throw, whereas Mardare threw 82.19m to finish fifth.