Paavo Nurmi Games 2024: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will compete in a star-studded eight-man field in the prestigious World Athletics Continental Gold Tour event. Neeraj will compete against 19-year-old sensation Max Dehning for the first time.
Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Doha Diamond League. (AP Photo)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 18, 2024 01:30 IST
Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will compete in the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on Tuesday, June 19. It will be the third tournament for Neeraj in 2024 and one of the biggest tests in a high-quality eight-man field that has Olympic and world championship medalists. Neeraj missed the tournament in 2023 due to an injury but has fond memories of one of his best throws in Turku from 2022.
Neeraj Chopra will be up against former world champion Anderson Peters, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Keshorn Walcott and local favourite and 2022 champion Oliver Helander. Neeraj will also face 19-year-old world leader Max Dehning for the first time in his career. Germany's Dehning had become the youngest man to throw 90m or more in men's javelin earlier in the year.
It will be a good test for Neeraj Chopra, who returns to action after having missed Ostrava Golden Spike last month as a precautionary measure. Neeraj last competed in the Fed Cup in Bhubaneshwar on May 15. Neeraj won the Gold in the national meet with a best effort of 82.27, far from his personal best. Neeraj would want to return to form and inch closer to the 90m mark, which he has set his sights on in 2024. Neeraj had begun the season in the Doha Diamond League in May when he finished second with a best effort of 88.36m.
It will not be an easy ride for Neeraj Chopra as the strong eight-man field will be looking to lay down a marker before the Paris Olympics, starting July 26.
- 1. Neeraj Chopra (India) - PB: 89.94m, SB: 88.36m
- 2. Anderson Peters (Grenada) - PB 93.07m, SB: 86.62
- 3. Oliver Helander (Finland) - PB: 89.93m, SB: 85.75m
- 4. Lassi Etelatalo (FInland) - PB: 86.44m, SB: 82.20m
- 5. Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad) - PB: 90.16m, SB: 81.11m
- 6. Max Dehning (Germany) - PB and SB: 90.20m
- 7. Toni Keranen (Finland) - PB: 82.89m, SB: 82.77m
- 8. Andrian Mardare (Moldova) - PB: 86.66m, SB: 82.18m
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH PAAVO NURMU GAMES 2024
What: World Athletics Continental Gold Tour 2024 - Paavo Nurmi Games
When: June 18, 2024
Where: Paavo Nurmi Stadium, Turku, Finland
Time: 9:00 PM onwards (Men's Javelin from 9:45 pm IST)
Live streaming in India: JioCinema
TV broadcast in India: Sports18 - 1 HD
Published By:
Akshay Ramesh
Published On:
Jun 18, 2024
English (US) ·