Neeraj Chopra set to take part in the 2024 Paavo Nurmi Games
The India javelin ace will his return to competitive action in Finland ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Paavo Nurmi Games marks Neeraj Chopra's return to international circuit after a short break. (Photo credit: Pritish Raj/ TheBridge)
Indian Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra is all set to return to the international arena at the 2024 Paavo Nurmi Games, scheduled to take place on June 18, at Turku, Finland.
The entry list of the Paavo Nurmi Games has been released and it features the Indian stalwart alongside a host of other world class athletes.
The competition, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold level event, will be Neeraj's third outing in 2024.
2024, so far so good for Neeraj
The Indian has had a reasonably good year so far, placing second at the 2024 Doha Diamond League with a best throw of 88.36m.
He then won gold at the 2024 Federations Cup with a throw of 82.27m. Thereafter, he opted out of the Ostrava Golden Spike 2024, held at Czech in May due to an adductor strain.
Back in 2022, Neeraj had participated at the Paavo Nurmi Games and won silver with a 89.3m throw, his personal best at that time.
He has since broken his own record by throwing 89.94 at the 2023 Stockholm Diamond League.
All said and done, it won't be an easy ride for Neeraj at the upcoming Paavo Nurmi Games owing to stiff competition. Amongst several others that will give the Indian a run for his money, there is the Germany's 19-year-old Max Dehning.
Dehning crossed the 90m mark this year with a stunning throw of 90.20. The teenager's presence, however, bodes well for the Indian as it is bound to test him ahead of the summer showdown at Paris 2024.