NEW DELHI : Indian javelin throw Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will be taking part in ‘Paavo Nurmi’ Games in Turku, Finland on June 18.
As per the Olympics.com, the news about Neeraj’s participation was revealed by the organisers. The event is the top track and field competition in Finland being held since 1957. The event is labelled as ‘Continental Tour Gold’ and is a top-tier World Athletics event.
The Paavo Nurmi will be Neeraj’s second competition this year as he is supposed to start his season on May 10 with the Doha Diamond League.
“Olympic champion @Neeraj_chopra1 returns to Turku in June and will face a high-quality field of competitors. The goal is to host the most competitive javelin competition of the summer before the Paris Olympics. #ContinentalTourGold,” according to the post on the official ‘X’ handle of Paavo Nurmi Games.
Back in 2022, the athlete secured a silver medal at Paavo Nurmi games with his throw of 89.30-metre, his personal best back then. Neeraj later outdid himself and registered his personal best throw of 89.94 m during the Stockholm leg of Diamond League 2022, which is also a national-level record, intact to this day.
Chopra missed out on the competition last year due to an injury. But this time around, he has a chance to play alongside the world’s top javelin throw players ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024 from July 26-August 11.
Germany’s 19-year-old Max Dehning, who became the youngest to breach the coveted 90 m mark this year, is likely to play in the event. His throw of 90.20 m is the best this year so far.
He is also a two-time World U20 Championships silver medalist and touched the standards required to qualify for Paris Olympics.
Julian Weber, the current European champion who earned a fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics, will also be playing in the Finland meet. (ANI)