Neeraj Chopra third in strong ground at Cuortane Games, Olympic favorite waiter first

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra fared better from his last two performances as he finished third with an effort of 86.79m at the Kuorten Games in Finland on Saturday.

Chopra started with 83.21m and then sent an iron spear to a distance of 86.79m in his second attempt. All the remaining four throws were fouls.

Season-leader and 2017 world champion Johannes Wetter (SB: 96.29 m) of Germany won the event with a best throw of 93.59 m. The German is the gold medal favorite in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, who won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze at the 2016 Rio Games, finished second with a best throw of 89.12m.

Grenada’s reigning world champion Anderson Peters was fourth with a best throw of 83.46m.

This was Chopra’s third best performance this season since rewriting his own national record during the Indian Grand Prix 3 with a throw of 88.07m at NIS Patiala in March. A few days later, he threw 87.80m during the Federation Cup at the same venue.

In her last two competitions in Europe, Chopra had finished below 80.96m at the Karlstad Grand Prix in Sweden on 22 June to win a competition in Lisbon, Portugal on 10 June with a best effort of 83.18m. . .

The 23-year-old reigning Asian and Commonwealth Games champion had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in South Africa in January last year.