Neeraj Chopra to take part in Paavo Nurmi Games ahead of Paris Olympics

India’s top javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra, will head to Turku, Finland, to compete in the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games. The organisers of the Paavo Nurmi Games took to social media to confirm Neeraj Chopra’s participation on April 10.

The Paavo Nurmi Games is Finland’s top track-and-field competition and a top-tier World Athletics event. The Games will be the defending Olympic champion’s second competition, after the Doha Diamond League on May 10. Neeraj will be in action at the Paavo Nurmi Games on June 18.

Along with Neeraj, Germany’s Julian Weber and 19-year-old Max Dehning will also be in action at the Continental Tour Gold event.

At the Paavo Nurmi Games, Neeraj will be challenged by reigning European champion Julian Weber, who finished four places behind Neeraj at the Tokyo Olympics, and Dehning. The 19-year-old German became the youngest javelin thrower to breach the 90m mark and will be a fierce competitor. For the record, Neeraj hasn’t broken the 90m barrier yet, with his best being 89.94 metres, which he threw at the Stockholm Diamond League.

This will be the second time the Indian will be in action at the Games. In 2022, Neeraj won the silver medal in the event with a throw of 89.30m. It was a new national record and the Indian soon bettered it with an 89.94m throw at the Diamond League in Stockholm.

The 26-year-old Tokyo Olympics gold medalist did not take part in the Games last year due to an injury.

Neeraj was last seen in action at the Asian Games in Hangzhou when he threw 88.88 metres to win the gold medal. It was his second Asian Games gold medal. Prior to the Asian Games, Neeraj made waves at the World Athletics Championships, where he became the first Indian to win a gold medal.