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A person of many firsts in Indian athletics, Neeraj Chopra can be eyeing one other piece of historical past together with his javelin when he takes goal at his second Olympics amid expectations of a golden end but once more. His fabled consistency can be examined after a season that has seen him battle a nagging adductor niggle. He would start his quest on Tuesday with the {qualifications} spherical from the place the Haryana lad is predicted to make the finals on August 8. A high podium end will make Chopra solely the fifth man in Olympics historical past to defend his title and the primary Indian to win two gold medals in a person occasion within the multi-sporting spectacle.
Eric Lemming (Sweden; 1908 and 1912), Jonni Myyra (Finland; 1920 and 1924), Chopra’s idol Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic; 1992, 1996 and 2000) and Andreas Thorkildsen (Norway; 2004 and 2008) are the one ones to have defended the lads’s javelin gold medals within the Olympics.
He has competed in simply three occasions this 12 months however the 26-year-old world champion is again in full movement in a season the place none of his world rivals have executed exceptionally effectively.
After ending second within the Doha Diamond League in Could with a throw of 88.36m, which is his season’s finest, Chopra withdrew from Ostrava Golden Spike on Could 28 as a precautionary measure after he felt “one thing” in his adductor (group of muscular tissues situated on inside thighs).
Chopra, who has a private better of 89.94m, made a robust comeback by profitable gold on the Paavo Nurmi Video games in Finland on June 18 with a throw of 85.97m.
He later opted out of the Paris Diamond League on July 7, insisting that the occasion was by no means part of his competitors calendar this 12 months.
His coach later dismissed issues surrounding Chopra’s health, telling PTI that his adductor has no points now and his ward has been in excessive depth section of coaching.
One of the vital constant javelin throwers in current instances, Chopra has despatched his spear beneath 85m mark simply twice out of his 15 competitions since profitable gold within the Tokyo Olympics.
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Czech thrower Jakub Vadlejch, who beat Chopra within the Doha Diamond League, Germany’s Julian Weber and former world champion Anderson Peters will as soon as once more be the Indian famous person’s major rivals.
The opposite Indian in fray in males’s javelin is Kishore Jena, who booked an computerized berth together with his 87.54m throw within the Asian Video games final 12 months, however has struggled to cross the 80m mark after that.
Chopra is predicted to raise the sagging spirits of the Indian athletics contingent which is but to register a efficiency of consequence within the showpiece’s ongoing version.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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