Neeraj Chopra Triumphs with First Gold Medal at Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 in Finland.

Posted 2 months ago

India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra secured his first gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games on Tuesday. His performance showcased dominance over a strong field, marking his return to competitive action after a month-long break.

Chopra, who secured a silver medal in 2022, delivered an impressive throw of 85.97 meters on his third attempt, propelling himself to the forefront of the competition and maintaining his lead for a significant portion of the event.

The Indian athlete proved his superiority over the much-hyped 19-year-old German talent Max Dehning, who entered the competition as the youngest member of the 90m club but disappointingly finished seventh out of eight competitors.

Dehning struggled to reach the 80m mark, with his best throw measured at 79.84m.

Meanwhile, local favorite Toni Keranen secured the silver medal with a personal best throw of 84.19m, while his fellow countryman and 2022 gold medalist Oliver Helander claimed the third spot with 83.96m.

Chopra set the tone with an impressive opening throw of 83.62m, which none of his rivals could surpass in the initial round of throws.