NEW DELHI: India's Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Tuesday secured his maiden gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland upon his return to competition after a month-long break due to a minor injury.
The 26-year-old, who had won a silver at the same event in 2022, produced a winning throw of 85.97m on his third attempt.
Neeraj's performance kept him in the lead for most of the competition. The event also featured 19-year-old German talent Max Dehning, the youngest member of the 90m club.
Local favorite Toni Keranen won the silver medal with a best throw of 84.19m.
Last year's gold medalist, Oliver Helander, finished third with a throw of 83.96m.
Chopra entered this competition after securing second place in the Doha Diamond League and a gold medal at the Federation Cup in Bubaneswar last month.
Neeraj kicked off his performance with a throw of 83.62m, which none of his rivals could surpass in the first round.
Helander briefly took the lead with a second-round throw measuring 83.96m. However, Neeraj quickly regained the top spot with an impressive 85.97m throw that remained unmatched for the rest of the competition.
The 26-year-old recognized the significance of his throw immediately, celebrating with raised hands and his signature roar—an expression.
With his exceptional display on Tuesday, Neeraj has solidified his position as a strong contender for gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Despite his winning throw, the distance was not as significant as the 89.30m he achieved two years ago to win a silver at this event. That year, he even improved to 89.94m during the Stockholm Diamond League.
Among other competitors, two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada placed fourth with a throw of 82.58m. The 2012 Olympic champion, Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago, was in sixth place with a season-best of 81.93m.
Neeraj had withdrawn from the Ostrava Golden Spike last month as a precautionary measure due to a minor adductor issue.
He began his season at the Doha Diamond League in May, finishing second with a final throw of 88.36m, which ranks as the ninth best of his career.
Neeraj also competed in the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, securing a gold medal with a throw of 82.27m, though he considered it a modest effort.
His next event is the Paris Diamond League on July 7.
To avoid an overly hectic schedule before the Olympics, Neeraj has decided to skip the National Inter-State Athletics in Panchkula, scheduled for June 27.
