Budapest: After Neeraj Chopra sealed automatic qualification with his season-best throw of 88.77m, DP Manu and Kishore Jena also displayed a fine performance, joining the Olympic champion in the men’s javelin final at the Athletics World Championships, here on Friday.
Chopra hurled the spear to his season’s and fourth career-best distance in the very first attempt, topping the Qualification Group A. In the process, the ace Indian breached the 2024 Paris Olympic qualification mark of 85.50m.
The 23-year-old Manu, who won the silver at the Asian Athletics Championships this year, finished sixth overall across both groups and qualified for the final with his best effort of 81.31m.
Another Indian, Kishore, competing in Group B, made the cut for the 12-man final with an 80.55m throw, finishing ninth in the standings. He took off with an energetic 80.55m throw in his first attempt but went down to a 78.07m in the second attempt and finished with his lowest of the day with, 77.12m.
The second group of qualification begins with Czech Republican Jakub Vadlejch leading the chart in the first attempt, he took off with an 81.34m throw but later on, on the second attempt threw a massive 83.50m and qualified directly after Chopra.
Commonwealth Games champion Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem finished off qualifications on high with second best throw of the day, 86.79m, stealing the direct qualification to the final, becoming the third athlete after Chopra and Valdejch to meet the qualification mark.
Nadeem’s throw also saw him breach the Paris Olympic qualification mark of 85.50. The qualification for the Paris 2024 for track and field athletes began on July 1, 2023.
Surprisingly, defending champion Grenada’s Anderson Peters missed out on a place in the final after finishing 16th in a field of 36. His best throw measured 78.49m.
(IANS)
