Paris Olympics: Meet Neeraj Chopra's rivals for Javelin throw gold medal

Neeraj Chopra's Javelin throw final at Paris Olympics 2024 will begin at 11:55 PM IST on August 8. Who are the Neeraj Chopra's top competitors? Check details here

India's flagbearer for athletics at the Paris Olympics 2024, Neeraj Chopra, will compete in the final of the men's javelin throw event on August 8 at the Stade de France, aiming to defend his Olympic gold medal.

The javelin throw event featuring Neeraj Chopra is scheduled to commence at 11:55 PM IST on August 8.

Neeraj Chopra has enjoyed a remarkable run leading up to the Olympics, having secured every major title in the sport. Since his historic gold medal win in Tokyo, he has also claimed the titles of World Champion and Asian Champion.

However, his quest to defend his title in Paris will be challenging, as several top athletes will be eager to dethrone the Indian Olympic champion.

At 26 years old, Chopra faces a formidable field, where any competitor could pose a threat if they surpass the 90-metre mark—a distance that several throwers have reached at some point in their careers.

The encouraging news for Indian fans is that Neeraj's season-best performance exceeds that of his competitors. Leading the qualification rankings with a remarkable throw of 89.34 metres, Neeraj has set the stage for the final and reminded the world of his prowess as the reigning champion.

Neeraj clinched the India's first-ever Gold in track and field event at Tokyo Olympics, with a throw of 87.58m.

Here are the contenders for the Javelin throw gold medal in Paris Olympics 2024:

Anderson Peters: Grenada's super-strong athlete is a former world champion and had beaten Neeraj to the world title back in 2022. Peters came 2nd in the rankings this time with an impressive throw of 88.63m on the day. Anderson's personal best is an impressive 93.07m, while his best for the season is 86.62m.

Julian Weber: Germany's powerhouse Weber has also competed with Neeraj on many occasions and showed up in Paris with a throw of 87.76m on the day. Weber finished 4th in the 2023 World Championship, behind gold medallist Neeraj, Arshad Nadeem (Silver) and Jakub Vadlejch (Bronze). His personal best is 89.54m and his best for the season is 88.37m.

Arshad Nadeem: Neeraj will have a familiar foe going into the final in Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. Nadeem finished with a silver medal in the 2023 World Championships and is one of the contenders for the Olympic medal as well. Nadeem got himself an automatic qualification spot for the final this year with a throw of 86.59m. Nadeem's personal best is 90.18m while the season best of 84.21m

Jakub Vadlejch: The current world number one and the defending Olympic silver medallist is one to watch for the final event as well. The Czech has also been a consistent figure in the medal positions alongside Neeraj Chopra since the Tokyo Games and has the skillset to beat the Indian on any given day. Vadlejch qualified for the final with a throw of 85.63m. He has a personal best of 90.88m and a season best of 88.65m.

Julius Yego: The Kenyan thrower qualified with a brilliant throw of 85.97m in the qualification event and could pull off a surprise in the finals by getting among the medal places on August 8.

Full list of Neeraj Chopra's competitors at Paris Olympics 2024 Javelin throw final
Position	Country	Athletes	Best throws in qualification	Season best	Personal Best	World Rankings
1	India	Neeraj Chopra	89.34m	89.34m	89.94m	2
2	Grenada	Anderson Peters	88.63m	88.63m	93.07m	6
3	Germany	Julian Weber	87.76m	88.37m	89.54m	3
4	Pakistan	Arshad Nadeem	86.59m	86.59m	90.18m	NA
5	Kenya	Julius Yego	85.97m	85.97m	92.72m	15
6	Brazil	Luiz Mauricio da Silva	85.91m	85.91m	85.91m	21
7	Czech Republic	Jakub Vadlejch	85.63m	88.65m	90.88m	1
8	Finland	Toni Keranen	85.27m	85.27m	85.27m	14
9	Republic of Moldova	Andrian Mardare	84.13m	84.13m	86.66m	8
10	Finland	Oliver Helander	83.81m	85.75m	89.83	4
11	Trinidad and Tobago	Keshorn Walcott	83.02m	85.22m	90.16m	9
12	Finland	Lassi Etelatalo	82.91m	84.67m	86.44m	16