Chopra wins gold at France meet

NEW DELHI: Commonwealth Games javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra gave a good account of himself at the annual international meet in the French city of Sotteville, winning gold with a throw of 85.17 metres. His performance on Tuesday gave enough indication that his preparations are on track for Asian Games starting August 18. Chopra’s season best and national record is 87.43m set during the Doha Diamond League in May.

In a competitive field that included 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, Chopra stayed calm to win the title. Moldova’s Andrian Mardare finished second with a heave of 81.48 metres while Edis Matusevicius of Lithuania was third with a throw of 79.31. Walcott missed podium to finish fifth with a throw of 78.26m.

The 20-year-old Chopra from Haryana is currently based in Finland and training with former German great Uwe Hohn, who is also the national coach. In preparation for the Asiad, he is competing regularly in international events.

Chopra was among the top two athletes who got direct entry for the Asian Games and was exempted from the final selection trials held recently at Guwahati. Discus thrower Seema Punia, who will be defending her title at the Asian Games, was the second.

Last week, Chopra finished fifth in Rabat Diamond League with a throw of 83.32 metres. The eventual winner was Magnus Kirt of Estonia with a throw of 89.75.

To prepare for the 2018 season, Chopra went to Offenburg, Germany in November last year. The national champion began his season on a promising note, recording a throw of 82.80 at a local meet in Offenburg. After a training stint in Germany, he improved his Federation Cup record at Patiala in March. His best throw of 85.94m was better than his previous meet mark of 85.63m.

He further improved his performance during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with a season’s best of 86.47. In May, he set the national record in Doha with a throw of 87.43. Chopra now aims to join the 90-metre club.