Neeraj Chopra threw the javelin at 89.30 meters, setting a new national record at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland.
Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the javelin throw event in Tokyo, 10 months ago and broke a national record.
In his return to the International competition, Chopra performed well. When the javelin was thrown, he let out a cheer that seemed to say “I’ve done it again!”
This time, it was a National Record.
In his first international competition, Chopra threw the javelin at 89.30 meters, bettering his national record.
As an American transplant to Finland, he is confident he can regain his old form and contribute to his new team. At the Paavo Nurmi Games, Aslak threw the most at 91 meters and placed second on the podium.
Chopra could not manage a legal throw in his third and fourth attempts but finished with a throw of 85.85 meters in his fifth attempt. However, the result will be a massive boost ahead of next month’s World Championships, showing that he is on the right track to breaching the 90m-mark.
Neeraj Chopra broke his previous national record.
For months after the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old was away from the sport attending felicitation functions, shooting commercials, and gracing talk shows before he could return to the place where he’s most comfortable: the athletics ground. He returned to the basics and began training in November at Chula Vista in California. To get back to competitive shape, Chopra reduced his weight by 14 kilograms and has been away from India since January. At Turku, Chopra placed 4th out of 5th best throwers, and just like at Tokyo, Chopra held his own.
To please the athlete and his coach, the target was 86-87-88 meters. Chopra commented that his coach planned for him to throw these distances – marking them as targets to be met.
After spending some time warming up, Chopra threw 86m+, an impressive feat that beats his previous gold-medal throw. He is the first track and field gold medalist for India.
He has been the record holder for men in javelin throw since 2016. His first shot at the record came during the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati where he matched Rajinder Singh’s 82.23m and got gold.
