The whole country was interested in whether Neeraj Chopra could reach the target of 90 meters. That goal was not met. But before the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Neeraj Chopra showed that he can overcome any adversity and impress everyone. Neeraj became the best on Saturday after defeating world champion Anderson Peters at the Games in Kuortane, Finland. Twice in a week he defeated Anderson.
After winning the Tokyo Olympics, the Indian gold medallist again won the best medal in a competition. On this day, Neeraj’s first throw itself was 86.69 meters. It could be seen that this is what put Neeraj ahead of the rest of the opponents. 2012 Olympic champion Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott finished second with a throw of 86.64 m javelin. Peters finished third with a throw of 84.75 meters. That also came in the first round.
Details of the game
Neeraj’s third and fourth throws were fouls. In all, he threw three. Which means it was the only one to count and that was where the Indian star of 24 years shone. A few days ago, Neeraj finished second in the 89.30m javelin at the Pavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland. This was Neeraj’s first entry in any competition, almost 10 months after winning a gold medal at the Olympics. After that, Neeraj will join the Stockholm Diamond League on June 30. This win will definitely help boost Neeraj’s confidence a lot before this competition.
Oliver Highlander of Finland, who won gold in Turku at 89.83m, did not compete in this competition. Although his name was on the preliminary list of contestants. Asian and world para-javelin champion Sandeep Chowdhury is also training with Neeraj at the Olympic Training Center in Kuortane. He also entered this competition. He finished at number 8. His best throw was 60.35 meters.
Peters tops the list of best throws this season. He threw 93.07m on his way to gold in the Diamond League in Doha last month. Neeraj’s 89.30m throw in Turku is the fifth best this season. In Turku, Neeraj not only won silver but also broke his own national record (88.07m). Which he built in Patiala in March last year. At the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj won gold by throwing a javelin of 87.58 meters. It was also a great achievement to touch about 90 meters for Neeraj after landing in Turku. Because in the world of javelin throw, this goal is considered to be synonymous with winning gold.
In this day’s competition, Neeraj also escaped injury. Everyone had to be careful for the rain. Neeraj’s leg slipped during the third attempt. He quickly recovered, however. However, the fans were worried that had he got hurt? Later, the National Athletics Federation of India tweeted that Neeraj was fine.
Neeraj’s comment
Despite finishing second in Turku, Neeraj was satisfied with his performance. “This is my first competition since the Tokyo Olympics. Everything was fine. Personally, I was able to throw my best. After that my goal is to perform better in bigger competitions.” He said.