Athletics World Championships: Throwback Friday

Budapest, August 25

Neeraj Chopra needed just one big throw to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the World Championships javelin throw final, pulling off a commendable first attempt of 88.77 metres here today.

1 This is the first time that three Indians — Chopra, Manu and Jena — have qualified for the final of an event at the Worlds

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 at the Worlds for the first time ever.

The Paris Olympics qualifying mark is 85.50m. The qualifying window had opened on July 1.

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. Neeraj Chopra

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 and topped it.

Chopra had won silver at the 2022 Worlds in the USA.

With the automatic final qualification mark set at 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 to 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 Olympics champion.

Competing in the same group with Chopra in his debut Worlds, Manu finished third and sixth overall with a best throw of 81.31m which he produced in his second attempt. Manu had won 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 told PTI.

Reigning CWG champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan also qualified for the 2024 Paris Games with his season best throw of 86.79m. Nadeem topped Group B and finished second overall.

Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, who won silver behind Chopra in Tokyo, was second in Group B and third overall with a best throw of 83.50m. Germany’s Julian Weber was fourth overall with a best throw of 82.39m. Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who has been struggling for form this season, failed to qualify for the final.

Flying Dutchwoman Bol

Femke Bol of the Netherlands stormed to her first World Championships gold in the women’s 400 metres hurdles on Thursday to put last week’s crushing relay heartbreak behind her. The 23-year-old, second at last year’s Worlds and third at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was level with American Shamier Little until just before the home straight but pulled away emphatically to cross the line well clear in 51.70 seconds. Reuters

Just in time for gold

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams finally raced to world gold in the 100 metres hurdles once again, winning by the narrowest margin eight years after first climbing the global medal podium. The 30-year-old, who won gold in 2015 and bronze in 2019, edged Olympics champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico by one hundredth of a second to win in 12.43 on Thursday. “I knew it was going to be tough,” Williams said. Reuters

Canada hammers home the point

Camryn Rogers won the women’s hammer throw on Thursday to secure a double gold for Canada after Ethan Katzberg had claimed a surprise title in the men’s event at the weekend. Rogers, who took silver last year in Eugene, went one better on a hot and humid night with a throw of 77.22 metres. “Ethan really set the stage out there,” she said. Reuters