Neeraj Chopra aims at a good show at Paavo Nurmi Games

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and India’s ace athlete, Neeraj Chopra, will be back in competitive action when he competes at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on June 18.

The Paavo Nurmi Games will be Neeraj’s third competition in the ongoing season as he gears up for the prestigious 2024 Paris Olympics.

Neeraj commenced his season at the Doha Diamond League, where he threw 88.36m and finished second. The 88.36 m is his ninth best mark in his career. The 26-year-old, however, did not have a good Federation Cup 2024 in Bhubaneswar, where, although he won the gold medal, he could only manage a throw of 82.27 m, way below the benchmark he has set for himself.

Neeraj will be the only Indian on the illustrious list of competitors at the Paavo Nurmi Games. The Indian javelin thrower will be up against the likes of German teenager Max Dehing, who is the youngest to breach the coveted 90m mark, Oliver Helander, Anderson Peters and Keshorn Walcott.

Jakub Vadlejch, who beat Neeraj in the Doha Diamond League, has opted out of the Paavo Nurmi Games.

The 26-year-old will be hoping to get back to his best shape after opting out of the Ostrava Golden Spike event in May after he felt something amiss with the group of muscles located on the inner thighs. He underwent a quick rehab for the injury and is now ready to compete at the highest level. The Indian had mentioned that the withdrawal from the Ostrava Golden Spike was a precautionary measure.

It will be interesting to see how Neeraj shapes up against the 19-year-old Dehing of Germany. The teenager is touted as Neeraj’s biggest threat when he goes out to defend his Olympic gold medal in Paris.

Neeraj will also be keen to settle scores with Oliver Helander of Finland after losing to the Finnish athlete in the 2022 edition of the Paavo Nurmi Games.

Neeraj’s next assignment is the Paris Diamond League on July 7 and later he will be in action at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Indian athlete has opted out of the National Inter-State Athletics in Panchkula to concentrate on the upcoming international events, including the Paris Olympics.