Neeraj Chopra advances to the finals of the Paris Olympics

NEW DELHI: Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion, showcased his exceptional skills as he confidently advanced to the men's javelin throw final at the Olympic Games with a season's best throw of 89.34m in his first attempt during the qualification round on Tuesday. Mirroring his outstanding performance at the Tokyo Olympics, the 26-year-old effortlessly surpassed the automatic qualifying mark of 84m in his opening throw, securing the top position in Group B. This remarkable effort, which stands as the second-best of his career, also alleviated any concerns about Chopra's fitness, as he had previously disclosed that he was dealing with an adductor niggle leading up to the Games. His personal best remains at 89.94m, which he achieved in 2022.Kishore Jena, the other Indian competitor, was eliminated from contention for the 12-man final on Thursday after recording a disappointing throw of 80.73m.Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan, the current Commonwealth Games champion, also secured his spot in the finals with a throw of 86.59m in Group B. Anderson Peters, a veteran from Grenada, also qualified from the same group with a throw of 88.63m.Chopra's performance, which lasted only a few minutes, was the most captivating of the day, exemplifying the phrase "he came, he threw, and he conquered."Earlier in the day, Jena placed ninth in the Group A qualification round with a subpar throw of 80.73m, eliminating him from contention for a place in the finals. His opening throw was 80.73m, followed by a foul on his second attempt, and he concluded with an 80.21m throw in his final effort.Julian Weber of Germany led Group A with a first-round throw of 87.76m, while former world champion Julius Yego (85.97m) of Kenya and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch (85.63m) of Czechia secured second and third positions, respectively. Toni Keranen (85.27m) of Finland was the fourth athlete to surpass the automatic qualification mark of 84m.