Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra needed just one throw in the qualification round to seal the final spot in the men's javelin throw event at the ongoing World Athletics Championships 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
On Thursday (July 21), the Indian golden boy registered his third best throw of 88.39 metres in his very first attempt to finish first in Qualification Group A and second overall behind defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.
The 24-year-old from Haryana, who is India's favourite for a medal at the Oregon World Championships, will hope to beat off Peters, who also finished above him in last month's Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden.
While Chopra took the lead with his best ever throw of 89.94m, Peters kept his best for the last with a distance of 90.31m to clinch the top spot. Chopra's best three throws have come in the last two months, but he will aim to break the 90m barrier as he eyes for a gold.
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On June 14, he marked his return with a new national record of 89.30m at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland and, days later, he broke that mark with a throw of 89.94m at Stockholm Diamond League 2022 on June 30.
In his previous appearances at the World Championships, Chopra managed only 82.26m to fall short of the automatic qualification mark of 83m in London 2017 and missed the 2019 edition in Doha as he was recovering from an elbow surgery.
Apart from Chopra and Peters, the Oregon 2022 final will feature India's Rohit Yadav, who finished sixth in Group B, qualified with a distance of 80.42m, a non automatic 11th place finish overall.
The 12-member final will also include Germany's Julian Weber, Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, Finland's Oliver Helander and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem among others.
Here is all you need to know about the World Athletics Championships 2022 Javelin Throw final:
When and where is the World Athletics Championships 2022 Javelin Throw final taking place?
The final is scheduled to take place on Saturday (July 23) at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Due to time difference, the event will take place on Sunday (July 24) morning in India.
What time will the World Athletics Championships 2022 Javelin Throw final start?
The final is scheduled to start at 6:35 PM Local Time on Saturday (July 23) | 7:05 AM IST on Sunday (July 24).
How to watch the World Athletics Championships 2022 Javelin Throw final in India?
Sony Pictures Network (SPN) will show the event live in India via Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 2HD channels, while the live streaming of the event will be available via Sony LIV app or website (subscription required).
Who all will be competing in the World Athletics Championships 2022 Javelin Throw final?
Check out the javelin throw finalists in order of throw along with their qualification mark, personal best and season best:
Order | Athlete | Country | QM | PB | SB |
1 | Neeraj Chopra | India | 88.39m | 89.94m | 89.94m |
2 | Jakub Vadlejch | Czech Republic | 85.23m | 90.88m | 90.88m |
3 | Rohit Yadav | India | 80.42m | 82.54m | 82.54m |
4 | Arshad Nadeem | Pakistan | 81.71m | 86.38m | 81.71m |
5 | Roderick Genki Dean | Japan | 82.34m | 84.28m | 82.34m |
6 | Ihab Abdelrahman | Egypt | 83.41m | 89.21m | 83.79m |
7 | Andrian Mardare | Moldova | 80.83m | 86.66m | 84.77m |
8 | Oliver Helander | Finland | 82.41m | 89.83m | 89.83m |
9 | Anderson Peters | Grenada | 89.91m | 93.07m | 93.07m |
10 | Lassi Etelatalo | Finland | 80.03m | 84.98m | 82.63m |
11 | Curtis Thompson | USA | 81.73m | 87.70m | 87.70m |
12 | Julian Weber | Germany | 87.28m | 89.54m | 89.54m |
QM - Qualification Mark; PB - Personal Best; SB - Season Best