It's time for India to rally behind its biggest medal hope at the Paris Olympics. World champion Neeraj Chopra will launch his bid for a second successive Olympic gold at the monumental Stade de France as the javelin superstar defends his crown in the men's event of the Summer Games on Tuesday. The reigning world champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist will kickstart his Paris campaign with the qualification round on Day 11 of the Summer Games.

Making India a javelin nation at the Tokyo Games, Neeraj has featured in three events in the 2024 season. With a season-best throw of 88.36m, the 26-year-old finished second at the Doha Diamond League in May. However, Chopra had to pull out of the Ostrava Golden Spike as a precautionary measure due to an abductor issue. Warming up for the Paris Olympics with a gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games, Neeraj produced a throw of 85.97m to bag the top honour.

Moving on from 90m mark and adductor talks

Paris Diamond League was never in Neeraj's plans as the javelin superstar capped off 15 tournament appearances after striking gold for India at the Tokyo Olympics. Happy with his abductor, Neeraj is expected to address the recurring issue after defending his Olympic title in Paris. With India yet to fight for gold in Paris, Neeraj is ready to add another golden chapter in athletics. Did you know? Neera has fired his spear below the 85m mark only twice since the Tokyo Olympics. Come Tuesday and Chopra's notable consistency will be tested by several medal contenders in the men's javelin event at the Paris Games.

Who is Neeraj's top rival?

Jakub Vadlejch is Neeraj's top rival at the Paris Olympics. His rich CV makes him a strong contender for gold in Paris. Vadlejch was holding the top spot in the men's javelin throw rankings when the Czech track and field athlete arrived in Paris. Jakub became the Diamond League champion by defeating Neeraj in the build-up to the Summer Games. The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist has a season-best of 88.65m.

Which athlete has best throw in Paris?

Remember what happened in Oregon? Anderson Peters upstaged Neeraj for gold at the 2022 World Championships. Peters has recovered from an injury-marred 2023 season as the two-time world champion has a best throw of 86.62m in 2024. Anderson's career-best throw is 93.07m - a feat untouched by any of the javelin throwers competing at the Paris Games.

European champion threat

Julian Weber is the current European Games champion. The German superstar has a personal best of 89.54m. The reigning European champion fired his season's best throw of 88.37m in May. Out of the five competitions in the 2024 season, Weber has unleashed throws of 85m-plus in every event. Neeraj's personal best is 89.94m.

India vs Pakistan rivalry in Paris

Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan claimed a silver medal at the World Championships last year. The Pakistani javelin star bagged gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 by clearing the 90m mark. Neeraj is set to renew his rivalry with Nadeem at the Paris Olympics. Though Nadeem's personal best is 90.18m, the Pakistan javelin thrower has failed to cross the 85m mark this season. His season-best is 84.21m. History beckons Neeraj and his arch-rivals at the Paris Olympics.

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