There are very few frames in sport that tell you exactly what's to come. If you see a bandana-clad long-haired gentleman roaring with his arms aloft and index fingers pointing to the sky...you know he's got somewhere near the mark he wants.
Neeraj Chopra pulled out his trademark celebration as he threw 85.97m to win the Paavo Nurmi Games on a sunny evening in Turku on Tuesday.
Unlike last season, the Olympic champion hasn't really begun competitions strong this year. Neeraj's first attempt, which was his first throw in over a month, measured 83.62m. It was far from his best, but it would have felt good to get off the mark, especially after his sub-par showing at the Federation Cup in May [he managed a best throw of 82.27m].
Hungry for more ��
����'s @Neeraj_chopra1 starts his javelin throw competition in Turku with a solid 83.62m.
Definitely more to come from the Olympic and world champ.
Watch live �� https://t.co/aUzNaw3yxA #ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/httB8oduss
- World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) June 18, 2024
Neeraj's second attempt was 15cm less than his first and that gave room to Oliver Helander to snatch away the lead. The local lad, backed by a crowd of 13,785, threw 83.96m to lead the eight-member field.
But that was short-lived. Neeraj, clad in a bright blue t-shirt, pulled out the big guns for his third attempt. He cocked his shoulder, wrapped his right palm around the javelin and stormed down the runway before letting out his signature celebration. The spear sailed past the 85m mark and Neeraj was well and truly back. Back in form and back in the lead.
Finland's Toni Keranen upstaged his more-celebrated compatriot in Helander with a solid 84.19m attempt in his fourth, which also marked a new personal best for him. It put him in the second spot, while Neeraj had a feeble 82.21m throw in his fourth attempt. Neeraj chalked off his fifth despite going past the 80m mark and continued to lead the pack.
The much-anticipated Neeraj vs Max Dehning match-up was a rather drab affair as the German teen could not even cross the 80m mark. The 19-year-old, who became the youngest to go past the 90m, finished seventh with a best of 79.84m.
Neeraj's final attempt measured 82.97m to cap off a consistent evening for him, where he got past the 82m mark in each of his throws [even the foul]. Sure, the distances appear modest compared to Neeraj's standard, but it marked his first big-event win of 2024.
This win will put Neeraj in good stead ahead of the Paris Olympics as he is likely to have just one more event - the Paris Diamond League - before his all-important title defence. The main takeaways from Turku are that he is fit, looks properly recovered from the discomfort he had felt in his adductor last month and the win proves that he is ready to compete with the world's best. Not that there was ever any doubt, but today's performance will give him an extra dose of confidence considering he had only one major competition so far.