Turku (Finland), June 18 : Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra marked his return to the circuit with a gold medal in the men's javelin throw at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 on Tuesday. His winning throw of 85.97m saw him top a strong field of eight competitors.

Anderson Peters, Max Dehning, Keshorn Walcott, Neeraj Chopra, Oliver Helander, Andrian Mardare, Lassi Etalatalo & Toni Keranen were the eight contestants in the competition.

Chopra began steadily with a throw of 83.62m. Local favourite Oliver Helander pushed him for the lead, taking the top spot with an 83.96m throw in the second round.

However, Chopra responded with his best throw of the day, a soaring 85.97m effort in his third attempt. His trademark roar returned as Chopra celebrated his throw in a typical manner.

Chopra's consistency continued with an 82.21m throw in the fourth round.

He then strategically fouled his fifth attempt after a throw that fell short of 80m. Despite securing gold, the champion wasn't done yet. Encouraging the crowd to louder cheers, Chopra delivered a solid final attempt of 82.87.

/IANS