Olympics 2024: A strong field awaits a stubborn Neeraj Chopra

Three years after he made history at Tokyo, Neeraj Chopra returns to the Olympic stage. This time, however, he has an aura around him, that of an Olympic and World Champion.

And as he takes his first steps in Paris towards a historic title defense, the rest of the world is leaving no stone unturned in their attempts to dethrone the champion.

One look at the men's javelin throw field and it is evident that the competition has gotten stronger. From Max Dhenning and Jakub Vadljech to Anderson Peters and Arshad Nadeem, everybody wants a piece of the Indian’s coveted gold.

The task for Neeraj Chopra, therefore, is cut out.

But Chopra is quietly gaining momentum, posting a season-best of 88.36m at the Doha Diamond League.

That said, with opponents breathing down his neck, he will have to rely on his consistency and grit to keep the competition at bay.

And helping him in the cause will be his war cry and mantra, #ZiddForMore

Here’s a look at the opposition that stands between Neeraj Chopra and gold at the Paris Olympics.

Jakub Vadljech (Czech Republic)

The silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, Vadljech has been on a constant rise post Tokyo.

He is one of the major competitors Neeraj will face going forward in the Paris Olympics. With a personal best throw of 90.88m, Jakub has bettered Neeraj’s mark thrice since 2023.

More recently, at the Doha Diamond League 2024, Jakub won the title by 0.02cm as he threw 88.38m while Neeraj Chopra could only muster a throw of 88.36m

Also, Vadljech had a season-best of 88.65m, which he achieved at the European Athletics Championships and on the back of these performances, he will be raring to go for gold medal at Paris.

Julian Weber (Germany)

The German veteran is making a comeback from injuries and would like to make amends for having missed out on the Olympic podium at Tokyo, where a throw of 85.30m got him a disappointing fourth spot.

Now though, Weber has been throwing well and has registered a season-best of 88.37m. And let's not forget that has been closer to the 90m mark in the past as well and a best of 89.54m means that the German will be a realistic threat to the Indian star.

Anderson Peters (Grenada)

Anderson Peters threw a monstrous 90.54m throw in the 2022 World Championship final when Neeraj finished second with a 88.13m mark.

While he has not been in the same form after his return from injury, Peters is a tough competitor who can be dangerous on his day.

With a personal best of 93.07m, Peters, although unpredictable, could well dislodge Neeraj Chopra from his perch.

Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan)

The javelin thrower from across India’s border has been struggling with injuries in the past two years.

Despite struggling with a high arm action in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Arshad crossed the 90m mark and won the gold medal.

And at the 2023 World Championships, the star from Pakistan staged a comeback and won the silver medal behind Neeraj Chopra. Since then, however, he has been unable to prove his fitness and only made an appearance at the recent Paris Diamond League.

Besides these four stalwarts, Oliver Helander of Finland and another Indian thrower, Kishore Kumar Jena, have shown reasonable consistency over the past year and can test the reigning Olympic champion. As we await to see the champion back in action at the Olympics, his journey continues to inspire billions around the globe. The question remains: Will Neeraj Chopra defend his Gold at the Paris Olympics?