New Delhi [India], May 16 : Following a second-place finish at Doha Diamond League and a triumphant return to national competition with a Federation Cup gold, Indian Olympic and World Championships gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will be playing his third competition of the season, the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet to be held on May 28 at Czechia.
This upcoming meet, which is also a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold label event, is the 63rd edition of the Ostrava Golden Spike competition.
On the road to the Paris Olympics 2024, happening from July 26 to August 11 this year, Neeraj kickstarted his season on May 11 with a second-place finish in the Doha Diamond League, with the best throw of 88.36 m, falling just 2 centimetres short of the winner and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch.
The Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar marked his first-ever national-level appearance since the Tokyo Olympics gold back in 2021 and he did not disappoint. Battling fatigue due to a lack of recovery time and a lot of travel, Neeraj could throw just 82.27 m but it was enough to secure a top-place finish and a gold medal, overcoming DP Manu's initial lead of an 82.06 m throw, as per Olympics.com.
At Ostrava, the line-up for the men's javelin throw would be a tough one, including the home favourite Vadlejch and Grenada's Anderson Peters, a former World Champion. Peters had also finished behind Vadlejch and Neeraj in the Doha Diamond League.
Neeraj was expected to feature in the Ostrava Golden Spike meet last year, but had to withdraw due to a muscle injury. The title was won by Vadlejch with the best throw of 81.93 m.
At Ostrava, Neeraj Chopra will be in a tough men's javelin throw field which also comprises home favourite Vadlejch and Grenada's Anderson Peters, a former world champion, in the mix. Peters finished third at Doha behind Vadlejch and Neeraj.
Besides Neeraj, Vadlejch and Peters, a lot of other global stars will be in action at the meet in Czechia, which also includes Italy's Marcell Jacobs, the current 100m men's Olympic champion, Gianmarco Tamberi, the reigning Olympic co-champion in men's high jump and Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, a world record holder and a Tokyo Olympics gold medalist.
Following the Ostrava meet, Neeraj is expected to stay in Europe as he is listed to play in the Paavo Nurmi Games to be held on June 18 at Turku, Finland. 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.
Back in 2022, Neeraj 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.
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