Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena, DP Manu Enter World Athletics Championships Finals

Neeraj Chopra needed just one big throw to qualify for 2024 Paris Olympics and the World Championships javelin throw final, pulling off a commendable first-attempt of 88.77m in Budapest on Friday. Not only Chopra but DP Manu (81.31m) and Kishore Jena (80.55m) also made the cut as three Indians qualified the final of an event in the World Championships for the first time ever. The 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying mark is 85.50m. The qualifying window had opened on July 1. The 25-year-old Chopra's qualifying round lasted just a few minutes as he sent the spear to his season's best distance in his very first attempt in the Group A qualification round. He topped the qualification round.

Chopra had won a silver in the 2022 World Championships in USA.

With the automatic final qualification mark set for 83m, Chopra, who has a personal best of 89.94m, packed up and left the competition arena without taking any further throw. The final will be held on Sunday.

Those who throw 83m or the top-12 best performers from both Group A and B qualify for the final.

Competing in the same group with Chopra in his debut World Championships, Manu finished third and sixth overall with a best throw of 81.31m which he produced in his second attempt. Manu had won a silver in the Asian Championships in July.

Jena, whose visa was rejected first by the Hungarian embassy in New Delhi before being cleared the next day, ended fifth in Group B and ninth overall with 80.55m. It is also his debut World Championships.

"For the first time three Indians have qualified for the final round of an event in World Championships. It has never happened earlier. It's a historic day for Indian javelin," a team coach in the Indian contingent told PTI.

India first