Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopraalong with Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, qualified for the men’s javelin final after finishing in the top 12 in the qualifying round at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday.Chopra, who won the Commonwealth Games title in 2018, finished fifth with a best throw of 79.61m. Rohit Yadav was ninth with 78.37m, while Yashvir Singh took 10th place with 78.36m, ensuring that all three Indian athletes advanced to medal.The 28-year-old Chopra, who shot last in every round, skipped her third and final attempt after securing a place in the final.The conditions were challenging, with a steady wind and a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. No athlete was able to break the automatic qualification mark of 84m, so the top 12 competitors will advance to the final, which will be held on Thursday.Only four athletes crossed the 80m mark during qualifying.
Arshad Nadeem and Tharanga Pathirage qualify for the final
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, winner of the Doha and Rome Diamond League meetings this season, topped the qualification with a first round throw of 82.84m. Grenada’s Anderson Peters, silver medalist from the previous Commonwealth Games, finished second with 81.29m.Paris Olympics gold medalist and defending Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan qualified for the final after finishing seventh with a best throw of 78.63m.Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage led the qualifying round with 82.84m, the longest throw of the day.Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago also reached the final after finishing 11th with 78.26m.Kenya’s Julius Yego, who won gold in 2014 and bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Games, missed out after finishing 13th with 74.50m.Wearing a beanie in the Glasgow weather, Chopra received the biggest round of applause from the crowd at Scotstoun Stadium. He opened with 76.28 m, sixth place after the first round. His second throw of 79.61m moved him to fifth before he opted not to take his final attempt.Chopra returned to competition this season after recovering from a back injury that had bothered him since September last year. The injury delayed his return until the Doha Diamond League in June, where he finished fourth with a throw of 85.69m.