Neeraj Chopra’s Spectacular Qualification: Journey to the Javelin Throw Final at World Athletics Championships 2023

“Surpassing his seasonal personal record, the Olympic champion achieved an impressive throw of 88.77 meters, well beyond the necessary 83.00 meters for qualifying.”. Manu Deepi and Kishor Jena also made it to the finals.

India’s Neeraj Chopra, after leading in the qualifying round on Friday in Budapest, Hungary, secured a spot in the javelin throw final at the 2023 World Athletics Championships for men.

In slightly overcast conditions and amidst competition, Neeraj Chopra launched his best throw of the season at 88.77 meters on Sunday in his first attempt to secure a direct entry into the upcoming final. The automatic qualifying mark was 83.00 meters. The 25-year-old Indian athlete had two unsuccessful attempts thereafter.

Even in the 88.77-meter distance, Neeraj Chopra shattered the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification standard for the javelin throw. The qualification window for track and field athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympics started on July 1, 2023. The entry standard for men’s javelin throw for the upcoming summer games is 85.50 meters.
Meeting the criteria for entry is merely a single component within the broader scope of the Olympic qualification journey.. The final decision on selecting an athlete for the NOC team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games rests with the respective National Olympic Committees, regardless of meeting the entry standard.

Neeraj Chopra holds India’s national record at 89.94 meters, earned during his Tokyo 2020 championship victory and the 2022 World Championships silver medal. The Indian javelin thrower had secured his best of the season at 88.67 meters in the Doha Diamond League in May.

After qualifying for the final, Neeraj Chopra mentioned, “During the warm-up, I had some good throws and I was confident that I would make it past the first round.”

My participation in events this year has been limited as my focus was on preventing injuries ahead of this significant competition.. I’m going to give it my all in the World Championship final this Sunday.”

India’s 23-year-old Manu Deepi, who was in Group A along with Neeraj Chopra, finished sixth overall in both groups with his total of 81.31 meters earned from his throws, securing a spot in the final.
My target was to achieve an 85-meter mark,” said Manu Deepi, whose personal best is 84.35 meters. “The final wasn’t on my mind; instead, I was dedicated to attaining a fresh personal best”

Kishor Jena, competing in Group B, also reached the final with a throw of 80.55 meters, securing the 12th position in the 12-member final. He stood in the ninth position.

National Games champion from Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem, threw 86.79 meters in his final attempt, securing the second spot after Neeraj Chopra. Czech Republic’s Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, Jakub Vadlejch, stood in third place with a distance of 83.50 meters. Germany’s European champion, Julian Weber, secured the fourth place with a throw of 82.39 meters.

Grenada’s 2022 world champion Anderson Peters had a day off and his best throw was 78.49 meters. After finishing 16th in the field of 36, he narrowly missed securing a place in the final.”