India’s Neeraj Chopra made an outstanding comeback at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 in Turku, Finland, on June 8, with a gold-medal-winning throw of 85.97 meters. This performance is a significant indicator of his preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Chopra’s event began with a solid first-round throw of 83.62 meters. However, last year’s gold medallist, Oliver Helander, briefly took the lead with a throw of 83.96 meters in the next round. Chopra reclaimed the lead with his impressive 85.97-meter throw.
This was Chopra’s third event of the season, having previously missed the Ostrava Golden Spike due to an injury. His throws in Turku were 83.62m, 83.45m, 85.97m, 82.21m, and 82.97m, with his fifth throw resulting in a foul.
Keranen and Helander followed Chopra with throws of 84.19m and 83.96m, respectively. Former world champion Anderson Peters secured the fourth spot with a throw of 82.58m.
Chopra qualified for the Paavo Nurmi Games by finishing second at the Doha Diamond League in May with a throw of 88.36 meters. He withdrew from the Ostrava Golden Spike due to a minor adductor issue and is set to compete in the Paris Diamond League on July 7. To avoid a hectic schedule, he has decided to skip the National Inter-State Athletics in Panchkula, scheduled for July 27.
Other notable results from the Paavo Nurmi Games include Lamont Marcell Jacobs winning the 100m in 9.93 seconds and Omar McLeod winning the 110m hurdles in 13.83 seconds.
