Neeraj Chopra qualifies for maiden World Athletics Championships Final

The golden boy crossed the qualification mark in the very first throw.

Neeraj Chopra, India’s biggest hope for a medal in Javelin Throw at the World Athletics Championships, qualified for the finals after his magnificent first attempt throw of 88.39m. This is the first time Neeraj has qualified for the World Championships Final. The 24-year-old, who has a personal best of 89.94m, competed in the 2017 London World Athletics Championships but failed to qualify for the finals as he just managed 82.26m, falling short of the automatic qualification mark of 83m.

While throwers usually take more than one attempt to record their best throw, Neeraj’s stunning first throw was enough to seal his spot in the final 12. He finished 2nd on the list after defending champion Anderson Peters, who managed to throw 89.91m. Chopra will now compete in the final, which is set to take place on Sunday early morning (IST).

Apart from Neeraj Chopra, India’s Rohit Yadav, who also competed in the same event, qualified for the finals with a best throw of 80.42m. He finished 11th in the qualification round and will look to grab attention in the medal race.

On his phenomenal start, Chopra said, "It was a good start. I will give my 100 percent in the final. Every day is different. I will just give my best. We don’t know who can throw far on any given day."

On being asked about the intense competition he faces, he said, "There are so many throwers in good shape now. Five-six throwers have thrown PBs this year. They are all in excellent shape. "

On the other hand, India’s Eldhose Paul became the first triple jumper to qualify for the final at the World Athletics Championships. With an effort of 16.68, he finished 6th in the Group A qualification round and 12th overall to make the cut. The final of the Triple Jump will take place on Sunday (6:50 AM IST).

The other two Indians, Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker, failed to make it to the finals after jumps of 16.49m and 16.45m, respectively. Chithravel finished 17th overall while Aboobacker ended at 19th spot.

After an ordinary start to the mega event, the performances of Indian athletes have been top-notch. With Neeraj, Rohit, Annu, and Eldhose, all competing for a medal, the chances of becoming podium finishers are high.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.