FINLAND — Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra said he is “feeling good” after experiencing a nasty fall in the men’s Javelin throw at the Kuortane Games in Finland on Saturday (18).
Chopra threw 86.69m in his first attempt of the competition to take the early advantage and went on to win the event despite not registering another mark.
The Indian athletics hero who made a return to competitive action in Turku last week at the Paavo Nurmi Games with a national record of 89.30m, got off to another strong start on Saturday before fouling on his next two attempts.
Competing on a slippery surface due to the rain that descended on the venue earlier at the meeting, Chopra suffered an awkward fall during his round three tries and it immediately became a cause for concern.
He skipped his remaining three throws of the contest and appeared to be in some discomfort right after the tumble. Read more: 2022 Kuortane Games results; Shanieka Ricketts among the winners in the triple jump
However, the Tokyo Games champion from last summer said he’s “feeling good” and is looking forward to preparing for his next competition in a couple of weeks.
“Tough conditions with the weather, but happy to get my first win of the season here at Kuortane,” Chopra wrote on his Twitter account.
“I am feeling good and looking forward to starting my Diamond League season at @bauhausgalan (Stockholm Diamond League) on the 30th.”
The runner-up spot at the Kuortane Games – World Athletics Continental Tour Silver level meeting went to Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 London Games gold medalist with a throw of 86.64m, while another Caribbean man, world champion, and the current world leader Anderson Peters of Grenada finished third with 84.75m.
Chopra is scheduled to compete next at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting in Sweden at the end of June ahead of next month’s 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Meanwhile, also winning at the Finland athletics meet was Jamaica’s World silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts, who bounded out to a season-best mark of 14.52m to win the women’s triple jump.
