Srinagar: India’s multiple Olympic medalist Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has secured top ranking in the World Athletics javelin category leapfrogging Pakistan Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem who is at fourth spot.
Neeraj Chopra with 1445 points sits at the top. He is followed closely by Grenada’s Anderson Peters (1431) and Germany’s Julian Weber (1407). Pakistan Arshad Nadeem ( 1370) , Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch (1346) and Kenya’s Julius Yego (1314) round off the top six.
On the women’s side, Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi leads with 1405 points, ahead of Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos (1351), South Africa’s Jo-Ane du Plessis (1318), and Greece’s Elina Tzengko (1309).
Arshad Nadeem is expected to feature in two to three international events ahead of the World Athletics Championships in September—tournaments that could prove crucial in boosting his rating and form heading into the biggest meets of the year.
He made headlines around the world last year after his gold-medal performance at the Paris Olympics, where he stunned the field with a record-breaking 92.97-metre throw, shattering the previous Olympic mark and etching his name in sporting history.