87.58. These numbers will eternally be etched in Indian sporting historical past. After Neeraj Chopra threw the javelin into the night time sky in Tokyo, rotated and celebrated with gusto even earlier than the spear landed, a nation rejoiced. And three years later, Neeraj Chopra enters the Paris Olympics as not simply the reigning Olympic champion however the reigning World Champion as properly.
Neeraj Chopra’s preparations have maybe not been essentially the most excellent as he has participated in simply three occasions this yr. Within the 2024 season’s prime listing, Neeraj Chopra is positioned fourth. However only a few Indian athletes have risen to the massive event as incessantly as him. Will Neeraj Chopra add one other Olympic gold medal to his already glittering assortment? Right here’s a have a look at the challengers for his crown:
Jakub Vadlejch, CZE (Season Greatest: 88.65, Private Greatest: 90.88)
The Czech athlete has been a close to ever-present alongside Neeraj Chopra on the lads’s javelin podiums all over the world in current occasions. The Olympic silver medallist when Neeraj Chopra gained gold in Tokyo. The Worlds bronze medallist when Neeraj gained gold in Budapest. And he began the 2024 season by pipping Neeraj Chopra to the highest spot at Qatar Diamond League, albeit by simply 2 cms. He gained an exhilarating European gold in June with 88.65m, the second greatest mark of the 2024 season. Make no mistake, he will likely be a favorite in Paris 2024 as properly.
Julian Weber, GER (SB: 88.37, PB: 89.54)
India’s Neeraj Chopra (proper) with Jakub Vadlejch and Julian Weber (centre) after the Indian beat the duo to assert the Lausanne Diamond League meet. (Screengrab)
The German is a powerfully-built athlete and will likely be itching to make up for the misplaced alternative in Tokyo the place he agonisingly completed fourth. Weber has had a great season to this point, with a better of 88.37m and a silver medal on the European championships behind Vadlejch.
Max Dehning (SB: 90.20, PB: 90.20)
The younger German turned heads within the athletics group with a shocking throw of 90.20m in the beginning of 2024 and that’s the solely 90m mark achieved in males’s javelin to this point this yr. However he’s additional down this listing as a result of Dehning hasn’t fairly managed to get near that mark once more in his subsequent occasions, hovering across the excessive 70s and early 80s since. However simply the actual fact he has been in a position to pull off a 90m throw as soon as, retains his identify within the combine.
Anderson Peters (SB: 86.62, PB 93.07)
The previous world champion has made a strong begin to 2024 after a tricky time on the worldwide circuit. Peters has gone previous the 90m mark in 4 occasions over his profession, and all of these had been in 2022. After his world championships gold in 2022, Perers was concerned in a nasty accident that made his 2023 season largely under par. However with a 88.62m throw in Qatar, he has put himself firmly within the combine for a podium end in Paris 2024.
Arshad Nadeem (SB: 84.21, PB: 90.18)
It’s maybe not totally logical so as to add an athlete who’s positioned sixteenth on the season’s prime listing to the combination of medal contenders in Paris. However the Pakistan athlete has all the time been one thing of an enigma. Be it his nearly nonchalant throwing model, or his skill to provide you with a large throw when he turns up on a giant stage. Even in his season’s solely look at Paris DL, Arshad began with a lukewarm sub-75m throw earlier than going as much as 84.21m in a matter of minutes. He’s the wildcard within the pack.