Neeraj Chopra qualifies for maiden Worlds final with 88.39m throw

Eugene: Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra qualified for his maiden World Athletics Championships final on Thursday (Friday morning in India).In the qualification Group-A, the 24-year-old recorded a throw of 88.39m in his first attempt to cruise into the final.The automatic qualification mark was pegged at 83.50m.

Besides chopra, Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic breached the automatic qualification mark with a throw of 85.23m in Group-A.This is the second time Chopra is competing at the senior world Championships.

At the 2017 worlds in London, he recorded 82.26m throw and failed to qualify for the final. In 2019, Chopra was forced to sit out due to elbow surgery.

Apart from Chopra, India’s Rohit Yadav is also listed to compete in the javelin throw event. He will be in action in Group-B qualification.(UNI)