Athletics, Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra India’s best bet, but don’t forget Avinash Sable in Paris

As we count down to the 2024 Olympic Games, the top competitors will be expected to continue to perform at the highest level, while others will hope to punch above their weight and reach for a spot on the podium. In the build up to the mega event in Paris, Scroll looks at the eight different Olympic disciplines where Indians have returned with a medal.

The track and field events at the 2024 Paris Olympics is expected to have renewed interest in India. Neeraj Chopra’s historic triumph in Tokyo followed by his consistent display in the three years since has helped athletics gain an upward curve in the country.

A recent report by Ormax media, puts athletics as the seventh most watched sport in India and Chopra among the top eight favourite athletes in the country. The list includes cricketers Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, along with footballers Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Sunil Chhetri.

Chopra, the reigning men’s javelin throw champion, will lead a 29-member Indian squad – all looking to etch their name in the annals of Indian sport – in Paris, starting August 1.

The Athletics Federation of India had earlier announced a 28-member team, but the contingent has gone up to 30 as long jumper Jeswin Aldrin and 5000m middle distance runner Ankita Dhyani qualified via the World Athletics Road to Paris rankings following a few withdrawals in their respective events.

The number, however, could have been 32, but it was not to be as javelin thrower DP Manu, who was in contention to qualify via the world rankings, was suspended for a doping violation at the Indian Grand Prix in April.

India will also be without the services of long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who picked up a knee injury while training in April. He had earned the automatic qualifying standard for the Olympics during the Asian Athletics Championships in July last year.

Shot putter Abha Khatua, meanwhile, was dropped from the final contingent after intially being named in the team.

The 29-year-old national record holder’s name first disappeared from the women’s shot put qualified athletes’ list published by World Athletics on July 13 before the Athletics Federation of India and the Indian Olympic Association followed the suit without citing any reason.

The 29-member contingent will compete in a total of 17 events at the Stade de France and Trocadero.

Here’s a quick preview of the Indian athletes competing in the track and field events at the 2024 Paris Olympics:

Javelin Throw

Javelin throw, India’s latest sporting fascination, is without a doubt the country’s biggest medal bet in athletics at the Paris Games. The 26-year-old Chopra, who since that fateful night in Tokyo, has transformed into superstar back home, will be in the forefront once again.

Chopra is no stranger to big events and big wins. He is now a seasoned campaigner, who has won every major competition his sport has to offer. He has made a knack of performing well under pressure, and made winning a habit.

Chopra has never finished outside the podium in 23 events he has competed in since his gold medal finish at the All India Inter Services meet in 2018. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that he missed the entire 2019 season with an injury and competed in only a single event in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Chopra’s last third-place finish came at the Kuortane Games in Finland before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Since the last edition of the quadrennial event, he has never finished below second position.

Though that 90m mark continues to elude him, his consistency is unparalleled. It is as if when Chopra competes, he is guaranteed a spot on the podium – more often than not, the top spot.

“I like to be consistent,” Chopra had said ahead of his 2024 season opener at the Doha Diamond League. “I will throw over 90m, but consistency is more important to me.”

Chopra would hope that his consistency puts him at the top of the Olympic podium once again, when the athletics events begin in August. But his task will not be easy.

Chopra’s season best of 88.36m is only the fourth best in the world in 2024 so far. The usual suspects – Jakub Vadljech (88.65m) and Julian Weber (88.37m) – have thrown better than him. Then there is the young German, Max Dehning, whose monster 90.20m effort shook the world in February.

The Indian will also have to battle it out against former world champion Anderson Peters, who has been consistent this season with a best of 86.62m.

But again Chopra knows how to get it done under pressure, which should hold him in a good stead at the Stade de France.

Chopra will also have compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena for company in men’s javelin throw. The 28-year-old from Odisha was in the form of his life last year, finishing fifth at the World Championships in Budapest and winning the silver medal behind Chopra at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Jena, however, has struggled to get going in the new season. He has competed in four competitions this year, touching the 80m mark only once – at the Inter States Championships in Panchkula last month with a throw of 80.84m.

Meanwhile in women’s javelin, Annu Rani will be India’s sole representative. The Asian Games gold medallist holds a season best of 60.68m, but will require a much bigger effort with a total of 33 athletes having recorded better throws this year.

3000m Steeplechase

Avinash Sable in men’s 3000m steeplechase is the next big athlete to keep an eye out for.

The 29-year-old from Beed recently set a new national record in the event – 8:09.91 min, which is the fourth best time in Asian history – to once again remind everyone of his ever increasing stock.

Sable had set a national record during the heats at the Tokyo Games but failed to qualify for the final. He, however, has grown from strength to strength ever since, bettering that mark multiple times.

He broke the Kenyan hegemony in men’s 3000m steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 with a silver medal finish.

A podium finish in Paris however, will be difficult, but a spot in the final, along with a top 10 finish for the Indian army Naib Subedar will be commendable.

Much like Sable in the men’s event, Parul Chaudhary has established herself as a cut above the rest in the country when it comes to women’s 3000m steeplechase. The national record holder, with a timing of 9:15.31 min, Chaudhary is the reigning Asian Champion.

Her season best of 9:31.38 min in four competitions is not eye-catching, and she will have to perform much better to make an impression.

Shot put

Indian men’s shot put record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor has established himself as an Asian giant. He was rarely challenged in the continental circuit and held the Asian record with a distance of 21.77m before 23-year-old Mohamed Daouda Tolo from Saudi Arabia broke it last month with an effort of 21.80m.

Toor has long been the best Asia has to offer and is a two-time Asian Champion, two-time Asian Games champion, two-time Asian Indoor champion. But he never been able to make a mark on the world stage, mainly due to his constant battles with injury.

Toor has not been at his best this season, with his throw of 20.38m at the Federation Cup in May being the only time he has passed the 20m barrier. But he will not get a better chance to establish himself as one of the best shot putters in the world than at the Olympics. Can he finally take a step up from Asia to the world?

Triple Jump

Two athletes – Praveen Chitravel and Abdulla Aboobacker – will represent India in triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both of them qualified via the world rankings.

While Chitravel – the national record holder in the event with a leap of 17.37m – was placed 23rd, Aboobacker was placed two spots above at 21st in the rankings.

Both Chitravel (17.12m) and Aboobacker (17.00m) have breached the 17m mark this season, putting them at 13th and 22nd spot respectively this season.

If either one of them make it to the final, it would go down as one of India’s best performances in Paris.

High Jump

With Tejaswin Shankar’s switch to decathlon and return to high jump not going to plan. Sarvesh Kushare will be the sole Indian athlete competing in the discipline at the quadrennial event.

Kushare is placed 23rd in the Road to Paris rankings and his season best of 2.21m does not make for good reading either. A qualification round exit looks likely.

Long Jump

Long touted as India’s next big field star after Chopra, Jeswin Aldrin is the national record holder in men’s long jump with an effort of 8.42m. That, however, was recorded in March 2023 – much before the qualification period for the Paris Olympics began.

Over the span of last year, Aldrin has been far from his best. In fact, he only qualified for the Games after a slew of withdrawals, including from his injured compatriot Sreeshankar Murali, who had attained the automatic qualification mark.

Aldrin had a forgettable outing at the World Championships and Asian Games last year and is yet to touch the 8m mark this season with a best of 7.99m.

The 22-year-old from Tamil Nadu is indeed one of India’s brightest talents, but can he overcome his lack of form and drop in confidence in Paris?

5000m

Parul Chaudhary is one of the only two athletes in the contingent slated to compete in more than a one event. While the 3000m steeplechase remains her pet event, the 29-year-old runner also holds the national record in women’s 5000m with a timing of 15:10.35s.

Chaudhary qualified via the world rankings and will also have Dhyani, who qualified after a spate of withdrawals, for company.

400m

Kiran Pahal lit up the stage at the 2024 Inter State Athletics Championships in Panchkula last month, shattering the automatic qualification standard in women’s 400m.

The 23-year-old sprinter broke into the Indian contingent last minute with identical times of 50.92s in both the heats and final of the Inter States competition.

Athletes putting up eye catching performances in the domestic circuit before a major event is the norm in Indian athletics, but can Pahal carry it forward to Paris?

100m hurdles

Jyothi Yarraji, one of India’s most improved athletes in the last couple of years, is the first-ever Indian to qualify for the Olympics in 100m hurdles.

Yarraji equalled her own national record of 12.78s in May, but missed the automatic qualification standard by a mere 0.01s. She later qualified via the world rankings.

Yarraji’s season best of 12.78s puts her 51st fastest in the year and a semi-final appearance could be a commendable achievement.

4x400m Relay

Two Indian relay teams – men’s 4x400m and women’s 4x400m – will be in action at the Stade de France. Both the teams qualified with their display at the World Athletics Relay in Bahamas back in May.

With a strong quartet each in both events, a final appearance looks quite plausible.

20km Race walk

A total of four Indian athletes – three men and a woman – qualified for the Olympics in 20km individual Race walk. All of them qualified by surpassing the qualification standard, a record for India in Paris.

While Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Singh Bisht made the cut in the men’s event, Priyanka Goswami, who had even competed in the Tokyo Games, made the cut among women. A top 20-finish for any one of them could be a good result for India.

Race walk mixed marathon

Goswami is the other Indian from the 30-member contingent, who would compete in two events. She is slated to pair up with Suraj Panwar for the race walk mixed marathon, an event which will make its Olympic debut in Paris.

The athletics events at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be held from August 1 to August 11

Indian contingent

Men: Avinash Sable (3,000m steeplechase), Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin throw), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht (20km race walk), Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh, Mijo Chacko Kurian (4x400m relay), Suraj Panwar (race walk mixed marathon), Jeswin Aldrin (long jump)

Women: Kiran Pahal (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Abha Khatua (shot put), Jyothika Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan, Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma MR, Prachi (4x400m relay), Priyanka Goswami (20km race walk/ race walk mixed marathon), Ankita Dhyani (5000m)