Back after 10-month break, Neeraj Chopra wins Gold at Kuortane Games

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, June 18: With Brian Adams’ ‘Summer of ‘69’ playing in the stadium amid incessant rains, India’s Olympic sensation Neeraj Chopra won Gold at Kuortane Games in Finland on Saturday.

The winner of Olympic Gold in the Tokyo Olympics in the javelin throw is now inching closer to 90-meter mark, an exclusive club for the javelin throwers in which there are a very few top athletes there currently.

In his very first attempt, Neeraj Chopra hit the 86.69-meter mark. That feat remained unbeaten at the track on Saturday, helping the Olympian win his first Gold of the season.

With rains lashing, the people watched the javelin throwers using the best of their skills to avoid injuries with the track becoming too slippery while the ‘Summer of ‘69’ track played, which for several decades has been the top chart-buster.

The slippery track proved a big challenge for all the participants.

Neeraj Chopra while making a dash for his third throw slipped and fell down, but avoided injuries.

The rains made the Tokyo Olympic champion commit two fouls, as he slipped to cross the red line that the javelin throwers shouldn’t cross even after releasing the throw.

He afterwards decided not to take risk and skipped the remaining two more throws. The people got a sense that the top javelin thrower wouldn’t take his remaining attempts as he began packing his shoes.

Neeraj Chopra will next be seen at the Diamond League where he will be aiming to breach the 90-meter mark to raise the bar higher after his recent feats, which are already being hailed the world over.

Keshorn Walcott with 86.64 meter and Anderson Peters with 84.75 meter throws won the Silver and Bronze at the event.

The 24-year old Indian javelin thrower will take part in the Stockholm Diamond League on June 30, as he begins his season to take on the leading athletes in the sport to improve his throws and enter the 90-meter mark.

Neeraj Chopra has come back on the competitive track after a gap of 10 months.