India’s Neeraj Chopra competes.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Superstar Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will compete in the celebrated Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 18, the place he can be up towards 19-year-old sensation Max Dehning of Germany, the most recent entrant in the 90m membership, the organisers mentioned.
The 26-year-old Chopra, who will start his season in the Doha Diamond League Meeting on May 10, had gained a silver in the 2022 version of the Paavo Nurmi Games with a throw of 89.30m — his profession second finest — whereas he pulled out of the occasion in 2023 as he was recovering from an damage then. Chopra has a private better of 89.94m.
The Paavo Nurmi Games are named after the legendary Finnish center and lengthy distance runner. It is a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold sequence occasion, one of the prestigious single-day competitions exterior the Diamond League Meeting sequence.
“Javelin throw Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will return to Turku in June. Chopra will compete in the Paavo Nurmi Games after a year’s break and will meet a high-quality group of competitors. The competition will take place in Turku on June 18,” mentioned Arttu Salonen, who’s liable for athlete procurement at Paavo Nurmi Games, on the official occasion web site.
“In addition to Chopra, we already have a contract with German Julian Weber and spring’s surprise Max Dehning.
“The purpose is to throw the hardest javelin competitors of the summer time in Turku earlier than the Paris Olympics. Negotiations with others proceed. Naturally, we wish prime home names to cowl Turku, led by Oliver Helander (who gained gold in 2022 version with 89.83).”
In February, teenager Dehning threw a sensational 90.20m — more than 11.07m more than his earlier best of 79.13 — to become the youngest javelin thrower to breach the coveted 90m mark at the German Winter Throwing Championships in Halle. He, however, could produce a throw of 80.30m in the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on March 10.
Julian Weber is the reigning European champion, whose longest throw last season was 88.72. He had finished fourth in both the Tokyo Olympics and 2023 Budapest World Championships. He has a personal best of 89.54m.
The Paavo Nurmi Games website quoted Chopra’s coach Klaus Bartonietz as saying that the Indian javelin superstar “threw 90.40 in coaching a 12 months in the past in spring in Turkey on the camp in Belek”.
“90 meters may have already been damaged in the Stockholm report throw (of 89.94m, Chopra’s PB). In Stockholm, Chopra threw 20-30 centimeters from behind the road, so it was a 90-metre throw.
(*18*) Bartonietz was quoted as having said on the World Javelin Conference at Kuortane Olympic Training Center in November final 12 months, in accordance to the Paavo Nurmi Games web site.
