Neeraj Chopra, an Indian athlete who has been a pioneer in many ways, is looking forward to another gold medal win and this time he will make history with his javelin as he participates in his second Olympics.
However, a niggling adductor that troubled him throughout the season would check his legendary consistency. According to Parami News, on Tuesday the qualification round will start his journey while Haryana kid is expected to reach finals on August 8.
Chopra could be India’s maiden dual gold medalist from an individual event at multisport spectacle and fifth man ever to achieve back-to-back title victories at the Olympic Games.
The Olympic champions in men’s javelin which have ever defended their titles are Eric Lemming (Sweden; 1908 and 1912), Jonni Myyra (Finland; 1920 and 1924), Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic; 1992, 1996, and 2000) and Andreas Thorkildsen (Norway; 2004 and 2008).
The reigning world champion has been better than ever this year while appearing only in three competitions as none of his rivals abroad have shown satisfactory performance.
With this season-best throw of 88.36 meters, he was second at Doha Diamond League in May. Nonetheless, on May twenty-eight, “just after feeling something” in my adductor (muscles located within my inner thigh), Chopra withdrew from Ostrava Golden Spike for precautionary reasons.
This outstanding comeback was made by Chopra who had thrown only once over the distance of eighty-nine point nine four metres before having thrown farthest on June eighteen during Paavo Nurmi Games held in Finland.
On July seventh day later when deciding not be part of Paris Diamond League it was stated that such competition did not appear anywhere among the events listed for this year through such matters were said by him.
Later, his coach allayed fears about Chopra’s fitness by telling Parami News that his ward has been in a high-intensity training phase and that his adductor is well right now.
In the last 15 events since winning the Tokyo Olympics gold, this top-flight javelin thrower has thrown below 85m only twice.
The main challengers will remain German Julian Weber, ex-world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada and bronze medalist at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games Jakub Vadlejch who beat Chopra at Doha Diamond League.
At the Asian Games last year Kishore Jena did not have to go for a qualifying round when he reached to eighty-seven point five four metres which is less than eighty meter cut off line Lately he has found this mark difficult to cross.
