Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is set to compete against world leader Max Dehning and European champion Julian Weber in a javelin showdown at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku on 18 June. This event is an important part of Chopra’s preparations as he gears up to defend his Olympic title in Paris in August. The last time he competed in Turku in 2022, he finished second with a throw of 89.30m, behind Finland’s Oliver Helander who won with a PB of 89.83m. Chopra’s personal best is 89.94m, achieved in Stockholm in 2022, and he also secured the world title in Budapest last year with a throw of 88.17m.
Chopra’s coach, Klaus Bartonietz, has expressed confidence in his athlete’s ability to reach the 90m mark, citing a training camp throw of 90.40m last year in Belek. Joining Chopra and Helander at the Paavo Nurmi Stadium will be Germany’s Dehning and Weber, as well as Finland’s Lassi Etelatalo. Dehning, a 19-year-old rising star, impressed with a throw of 90.20m in Halle earlier this year, establishing himself as the world leader in the event. These five athletes are the first to be announced for the Paavo Nurmi Games, which is a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting and the seventh event of its kind this season.