Neeraj Chopra impresses in Paris Olympics qualification rounds, re-establishes status as favorite for gold

Neeraj Chopra started his Paris Olympics campaign in a dominant fashion. As the Summer Games draw closer to the end, the javelin thrower remains India's best hope for a gold medal finish, and after his qualification round, he's made himself a strong favorite to defend his title.

Chopra had a late start to his Olympic year, and looked lukewarm in his performances, spreading concern amongst fans. He opened his season at the Doha Diamond League in May, finishing second with a throw of 88.36m.

Next, the Tokyo gold medalist competed at the 27th Senior Athletics National Championships, claiming the win despite an unimpressive mark of 82.27m. He then went on to win the Paavo Nurmi Games in mid-June, again with a throw of 85.87 which is far from his best.

Now, Neeraj Chopra arrived at the Paris Games as the defending World and Olympic champion, as well as a favorite for the win. In the qualification round on Tuesday, August 6, the 26-year-old managed a mark of 89.34m on his first try, booking a place in the finals with ease. The Indian finished atop the charts of the qualification rankings.

For reference, Chopra's qualification throw would have won him an Olympic gold in 2020 Tokyo, 2012 London, and 2004 Athens. His throw of 89.34 was also good enough to have claimed the World Championship title in 2023 and 2019.

Paris Olympics 2024: When and where to catch Neeraj Chopra in action next?

Neeraj Chopra will be back in action at Stade de France on Thursday, August 8, at 11.55pm IST for the final of the men's javelin throw. Fans can tune into the live action on Jio Cinema or the Sports 18 network.

Chopra will be joined in the Paris Olympics final by two-time World Champion Anderson Peters, German Julian Webber, and Pakistan’s World Championships silver-medalist Arshad Nadeem among others.