Chopra Emerges Victorious at Paavo Nurmi Games
Indian Javelin star Neeraj Chopra kicked off his international season with a win at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland over the weekend. Chopra produced throws of 83.62m, 83.45m and a winning effort of 85.97m to finish on top of the podium.
A nearly 86-meter throw sets Chopra up well for the upcoming month leading up to the Paris Olympics. The Paris Diamond League meet in early July will be his final competition before defending his title at the 2024 Games.
While Chopra emerged victorious in Turku, it wasn't without challenges from the home nation throwers. After Oliver Helander of Finland took the early lead, local favorite Toni Keranen produced a personal best of 84.19m to push into second place. With two rounds remaining, the Finns were applying pressure hoping for an upset victory.
Chopra responded with an 82.21m throw in the fifth round but he appeared upset it wasn't further. He fouled on his sixth attempt looking for more distance between himself and the chasing field. In the final round, only Germany's Max Dehning managed a legal throw, with Chopra securing second spot with 82.97m.
Despite missing potential for bigger throws, Chopra completed his full set of six attempts without any injury concerns. After taking time off from competition to recover from a minor issue, the Olympic champion demonstrated he can still claim victory even if not at his very best.
Chopra will enter the Paris Games targeting a successful title defense with this experience added to slots already in Doha and Bhubaneswar. The Paavo Nurmi Games served as an important step in his buildup, showcasing he remains the javelin athlete to beat heading into the Olympics.
