Paris 2024 Olympics: 3 athletes who could challenge Neeraj Chopra in javelin throw ft. Arshad Nadeem

Neeraj Chopra is currently among the most well-known figures in the sport of javelin throw. With a throw of 87.58m that led to a coveted gold medal finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj announced himself to the sporting world in some fashion.

Ever since the triumph in Tokyo, the star Indian athlete has started as one of the favorites at most global events. This will be the case at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics as well.

Neeraj is being backed by the pundits to come up with another good showing at the Summer Games in Paris. Given his skills and him being in his prime as an athlete, the 26-year-old will hope to snatch a podium finish at the quadrennial event, ideally another gold.

However, the road to Olympic glory is never an easy one. There is plenty of talent the Indian would be competing against. The Padma Shri awardee will have to overcome steep challenges posed by some of the world's top javelin throwers so as to repeat his Tokyo heroics.

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3 players who could challenge Neeraj Chopra in javelin throw

#3 Julian Weber, Germany

Julian Weber missed out on a podium finish at 2020 Tokyo Olympics finishing fourth. (Image via Getty)

German javelin thrower Julian Weber is another talented athlete who will back his chances to excel at the Paris 2024 Olympics. A season best of 88.37 and a personal best of 89.54 makes Julian a solid contender in Paris.

Julian recently won the silver medal at the European Championships in 2024. He performed well at the 2020 Tokyo Games as well where he finished agonizingly close to a podium finish. While he stood fourth in Tokyo, Weber will come into the Paris Olympics determined.

With a strong athletic build and world-class skills, the German athlete is a threat to all his competitors in Paris, including Neeraj Chopra.

#2 Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist has had several duals with Neeraj Chopra in the recent past. (Image via Getty)

Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem is one of the more popular rivalries in the sport in recent times. Though the two share a great rapport, both athletes have gone toe-to-toe at several competitions in the recent past.

The Pakistani thrower won a historic medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with a personal best throw, the first from his country to do so. The gold in the same competition was snatched by Neeraj Chopra by a margin of less than a meter.

Arshad, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, is known for his nonchalant throwing style and can, bring up a massive throw when required out of nowhere. An athlete who brings out his best in crunch situations can pose a solid challenge to Neeraj.

In Tokyo, the athlete became the first Pakistani to qualify for an Olympic athletics final. He finished fifth in the previous edition and will back himself to get to the podium in Paris.

#1 Jakub Vadlejch, Czech Republic

Czech's Jakub Vadlejch won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Image via Getty)

Czech Republic’s star thrower Jakub Vadlejch will be Neeraj Chopra's toughest opponent in Paris. The two athletes have shared space on several podiums around the world. There has not been much to separate between the performances of the two.

When Neeraj won the gold in Tokyo, Jakub was next to him on the podium with a silver finish. When Chopra won the gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Vadlejch took home the bronze.

The 33-year-old, however, has not always come second. He recently pipped Neeraj Chopra by a mere 2 cm to take the top position in the 2024 Qatar Diamond League.

With a season-best of 88.65, a personal best of 90.88, and a gold medal at the European Championships in 2024, Jakub Vadlejch is a tough opponent.