The Indian team has faced several setbacks at the Paris Olympics 2024, with many top medal contenders missing their chances to reach the podium. Much of India’s remaining hope now rests on Neeraj Chopra, the star athlete who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and is set to compete in Paris. His journey begins today, August 6.
Before reaching the final, Neeraj must first navigate the preliminary round. Placed in Group B, he will compete against some of the world’s top javelin throwers. Neeraj has two paths to qualify for the final: he can secure a direct spot by throwing a distance of 84 meters or more in any of his three attempts, or if he fails to reach 84 meters, he must have one of the top 12 throws across both qualification rounds combined. These 12 athletes will then advance to the final.
Should more than 12 athletes exceed the 84-meter mark, all of them will qualify for the final. For Neeraj, breaching the 84-meter mark should be straightforward, given his consistent performances since winning gold in Tokyo. He holds the national record with a throw of 89.94 meters, achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022.
Kishore Jena’s qualification round starts at 1:40 PM IST, while Neeraj Chopra will make his debut at the Paris Olympics 2024 from 3:20 PM IST on August 6.
