Javelin throwerNeeraj Chopra will be competing in the final and will look to win a historicmedal for India in track-and-field events. He is India’s best hope to get amedal in athletics. The 23-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the world andis in the finals of men’s javelin throw after a fantastic first throw in thequalification. His sole throw went well beyond the qualification mark andhelped Chopra storm straight into the final.
Should Neeraj Chopraclinch a podium, it will be India’s first medal in track and field events sinceNorman Pritchard won two silvers during the 1900 Olympics. Over the years ahost of athletes like Milkha Singh, PT Usha and Anjum Bobby George have comeclose to the podium but fell agonisingly short of a medal finish. Chopra willhope to avoid the same on Saturday when he fires his Nemeth into the distanceat the Olympic Stadium.
“I am at my firstOlympic Games, and I feel very good. In warm-up my performance wasn’t so good,but then (in the qualifying round) my first throw had a good angle, andwas a perfect throw,” Chopra had said after the qualifying round onWednesday.
“I will need to focuson the throw, and try to repeat this (performance) with a higherscore,” said the youngster who came into the Olympics with the fourthbest throw (88.07m) this year.
Johannes Vetter ofGermany: Vetter, who had earlier said that Chopra will find it tough tobeat him in the Olympics, struggled in his first two throwsbefore crossing the automatic qualification mark with a 85.64m finalthrow. The 28-year-old towering German, who came into the Olympics afterhaving seven monster throws of over 90m between April and June, was lyingat a dangerous seventh position after his first two throws but eventuallyqualified for the final at second overall behind Chopra.
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India has high hopesfrom Neeraj Chopra. A farmer's son from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryanawho took up athletics to shed flab, Chopra can script history by winning theelusive medal. Again on Saturday, the Indian athletics contingent is expectedto be in full strength at the Olympic Stadium, hoping that history is createdby Chopra.