Neeraj Chopra At World Athletics Championships 2023 – Olympic Champion’s Five Possible Threats

New Delhi: Javelin Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will be aiming for a World Athletics Championships gold when the 19th edition of the competition gets underway at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary from August 19.

The 25-year-old Indian who scripted history in Tokyo two years ago, has won gold medals in the Olympics, Asian Games, Diamond League and the Commonwealth Games. A gold medal at the Worlds is only what Chopra needs to complete his cabinet.

Chopra’s best at the World Championships came last year in the United States when he secured a silver. Undoubtedly, Chopra is India’s biggest hope in the 28-member contingent that will take part in the nine-day event.

Chopra won the Doha Diamond League in 2023 with an 88.67m effort before missing three events in a month due to a muscle strain. But that didn’t deter his prowess as he returned with a bang to win the Lausanne leg of Diamond League.

With the Asian Games in line and given that this is a Paris Olympics qualification year, a good show in Hungary will boost Chopra’s confidence before flying to China for the continental showpiece.  As Chopra gears up for the World Athletics Championships, let’s take a look at some of his possible challenges in Budapest.

Jakub Vadlejch

The 32-year-old from the Czech Republic will pose a major threat to Neeraj Chopra having owned three of the top five throws of the season. Vadlejch finished second to Chopra at the Tokyo Olympics and has the best throw of 2023 when he hurled his spear to a distance of 89.51m. Vadlejch competed at the World Athletics Championships five times, winning a silver (2017) and a bronze (2022). In 2023, Vadlejch competed in nine events and attained three podium finishes.

Julian Weber

Pressure will be on Julian Weber of Germany as his compatriots Johannes Vetter, Andreas Hofmann and Thomas Rohler are missing the World Athletics Championships in Hungary. Weber had finished fourth at Tokyo Olympics and the World Championships last year. In 2023, Weber participated in ten events and threw his javelin over the 87m mark five times. He also finished second in two Diamond League events this year.

Anderson Peters

Anderson Peters remains a big threat to Chopra. The Grenadian defended his World title last year and became the first male javelin thrower since Jan Zelezny (in 1993 and 1995) to defend his Worlds title. The 25-year-old big man is also the only athlete to throw his spear over 90m mark thrice at a World Athletics Championships final. However, the news of Peters struggling to find form this year may be good news for the Indian but one should never underestimate an opponent on a given day. In 11 events in 2023, Peters has managed only two 85-metre-plus throws.

Keshorn Walcott

Two-time Olympic medallist, Keshorn Walcott, has never been out of the reckoning at major events but a medal at the World Athletics Championships has always eluded the Caribbean. The 2012 London Olympics gold medalist has competed at the Worlds five times his best performance came in 2017 when he finished seventh. Walcott’s best show in 2023 came in Kuortane Games when he finished second.

Arshad Nadeem

Last but not least, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem can be one of the threats to Chopra. The Pakistani javelin thrower breached the 90m mark in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and became the first from South Asia to break the barrier. Post his CWG heroics, Nadeem was struggling with injuries and flew to the United Kingdom to undergo treatment on his injured elbow and knee joint. The 26-year-old has recovered and returned to the track and field at the National Games of Pakistan and won the javelin event with a 78.02m throw.