Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra clinches gold at Sotteville Athletics meet

Neeraj Chopra, India’s star javelin thrower struck gold at the Sottevile Athletics meet on Tuesday.

The Commonwealth Games gold-medallist scored a distance of 85.17 meters to finish on top of the podium.

By far India’s best athlete in the Javelin throw Niraj once again proved his mettle with a big-margin victory. Yet, this was not his best throw of the season.

Niraj who participated in the first edition of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League in Doha broke the national record with a 87.43 meters throw to finish fourth.

The previous national record of 86.48 meter was also in his name.

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He had however failed to produce the same magic at the USA tournament where hr finished sixth and also at the Rabat Diamond League, where he covered a distance of 83.32 meters, to finish fifth.

But at the Sottevile Athletics meet the Junior world champion looked a different player keeping all of his six throws close to the 80 meter. He achieved the highest distance of 85.17 meters in the fifth attempts but aur come the closest in the third throw, when he scored just 0.5 less than the fifth attempt score.

Niraj also crossed the 80m mark in the fourth and sixth attempt.

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Meanwhile, Adrian Mardare of Moldova clinched thr silver with a throw of 81.48 meters, while Edis Matusevicius of Lithuania had to settle for a bronze after scoring 79.31 meters

This performance will surely give the 20-year-old a major boost as he aims for a good medal at the Asian Games, which will be held from August 18 to September 2 in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.