From Budapest to Paris

BUDAPEST: Neeraj Chopra needed just one big throw to qualify for 2024 Paris Olympics and the World Championships javelin throw final, pulling off a commendable first-attempt of 88.77m here on Friday.

Not only Chopra but DP Manu (81.31m) and Kishore Jena (80.55m) also made the cut as three Indians qualified the final of an event in the World Championships for the first time ever. The 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying mark is 85.50m. The qualifying window had opened on July 1.

The 25-year-old Chopra’s qualifying round lasted just a few minutes as he sent the spear to his season’s best distance in his very first attempt in the Group A qualification round. He topped the qualification round.

Chopra had won a silver in the 2022 World Championships in USA.

With the automatic final qualification mark set for 83m, Chopra, who has a personal best of 89.94m, packed up and left the competition arena without taking any further throw. The final will be held on Sunday.

Those who throw 83m or the top-12 best performers from both Group A and B qualify for the final.

“During the warm-up I felt the power and knew I could make it with only one throw. It felt great releasing the javelin and the result was very satisfying. I was able to save energy for the final since I threw with only 90 per cent effort.

“I will definitely give everything in the final as I would like to have a world gold as well (as one from the Olympic Games),” said Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion.

Competing in the same group with Chopra in his debut World Championships, Manu finished third and sixth overall with a best throw of 81.31m which he produced in his second attempt. Manu had won a silver in the Asian Championships in July.

Jena, whose visa was rejected first by the Hungarian embassy in New Delhi before being cleared the next day, ended fifth in Group B and ninth overall with 80.55m. It is also his debut World Championships.

“For the first time three Indians have qualified for the final round of an event in World Championships. It has never happened earlier. It’s a historic day for Indian javelin,” a team coach in the Indian contingent said.

A World Championships gold is the only medal missing in Chopra’s decorated cabinet and going by the performances of other competitors in the qualification round, the superstar Indian looked primed to achieve the feat and add another milestone in his illustrious career.

He won gold medals in Olympics (Tokyo in 2021), Asian Games (2018) and Commonwealth Games (2018), besides becoming the Diamond League champion last year.

Six track and field athletes have already qualified for the 2024 Olympics before Chopra. Akshdeep Singh, Vikas Singh and Paramjeet Bisht qualified for men’s 20km race walk and Priyanka Goswami made the cut for women’s 20km race walk.

Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable have also qualified.