Neeraj Chopra and Indian Javelin Throwers Shine at Commonwealth Games

Chopra Leads Indian Trio into Javelin Final

Neeraj Chopra, a two-time Olympic medalist, along with two fellow Indian athletes, secured their spots in the men's javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games by finishing in the top 12 during the qualification round on Thursday.

Chopra, who clinched the javelin title in 2018, achieved a fifth-place finish with a throw of 79.61 meters. Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh followed closely, finishing ninth and tenth with throws of 78.37m and 78.36m, respectively, ensuring a complete Indian representation in the medal round.

The 28-year-old Chopra, who was the last to throw in each round, opted out of his third attempt after confirming his place in the final.

Challenging conditions prevailed during the event, with a steady headwind and temperatures around 18 degrees Celsius, preventing any athlete from reaching the automatic qualification mark of 84m. Consequently, the top 12 competitors advanced to the final, scheduled for Thursday.

Only four athletes managed to surpass the 80m mark.

Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who has been in excellent form, topped the qualification with a throw of 82.84m in the first round. Anderson Peters from Grenada, the silver medalist from the last edition, secured second place with a throw of 81.29m.

Defending champion and Paris Olympics gold medalist Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan (78.63m) and reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago (78.26m) also qualified for the finals, finishing seventh and eleventh, respectively.

Kenya's Julius Yego, who won gold in 2014 and bronze in the 2022 Birmingham Games, unfortunately, did not qualify, finishing thirteenth with a throw of 74.50m.

Chopra, donning a beanie to combat the chilly Glasgow weather, received the loudest cheers from the audience at the scenic Scotstoun Stadium, maintaining a composed demeanor in the challenging conditions.

He began with a throw of 76.28m, placing him sixth after the first round, and improved to 79.61m in his second attempt, moving up to fifth place. He decided against taking his final throw.

Yashvir, whose personal best this season is 83.72m, progressed steadily through the rounds, starting with 73.89m, then improving to 74.45m, and finally achieving 78.36m to secure his qualification.

Rohit, with a personal best of 87.05m, started with a throw of 77.04m and improved to 78.37m in his second attempt, also opting out of his last throw.

Chopra has recently returned from a lower back injury that has affected him since September of the previous year, which delayed his comeback until the Doha Diamond League in June, where he finished fourth with a throw of 85.69m, below his usual performance levels.