Perfect host Neeraj Chopra wins inaugural NC classic

Bengaluru: Neeraj Chopra responded to the chants of ‘Neeraj, Neeraj, Neeraj’ as he battled back after a foul on his first throw to etch his name in the winner's list in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic at the Sree Kanteerava stadium here on Saturday night.The 15000-odd spectators who almost filled up the stands, much like a Bengaluru FC home match in the Indian Super League, went back singing and dancing to the popular numbers of AR Rahman after they watched their favourite star take the gold beating the challenge from former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya. The two good friends went head-to-head as the competition warmed up after the first round which saw Neeraj check his run-up, before fouling his attempt in what looked like a big heave.

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Yego, who went in sixth in the list of 12, came up with an effort of 80.07 as he became the first athlete on the day to breach the 80m mark. Brazilian Luiz Mauricio Da Silva improved it to 80.31m but Chopra was last in the order and came up with his first big throw of the night that landed at 82.99m. The illuminated marks on the field were put at 75m and 80m and then it was straight to the World Lead mark of 91.06m by German Juilan Weber.

As the swirling head wind challenged some of the best javelin throwers in the business, the first thrower, India's Sahil Silwal, who twisted his ankle earlier, recorded a foul. Yego failed to improve his mark, settling at 79.73m, while Asian silver medallist Sachin Yadav came up with a big one that measured 82.33. Sri Lankan Rumesh Pathirage raised the level of the competition with a heave of 84.34m but Neeraj Chopra was in no mood to leave it late as he nailed the gold with a biggest heave of the day: 86.18m.

Yego found his biggest throw of the day on his fourth attempt, as the field reduced to the top 9 after the first three rounds, that measured 84.51m. It was Yego's season's best effort which got him the silver and pushed Pathirage to settle for the bronze with his best of 84.34m.Chopra fouled his fourth and then recorded 84.07m on his penultimate attempt before the top-8 lined up for one last attempt. Neeraj was last in the order again but he had the gold in his pocket even before he went to the start of his run-up as Yego's challenge ended with a sixth round throw of 82.45m.

The Indian star still tried to go past his best of the day but it was not to be as he settled for a last round of 82.22m.India's Sachin Yadav (82.33) finished fourth while Yashvir Singh (79.65) finished in eighth place. Rio Olympic gold medallist Thomas Rohler failed to get into the top-8 Results (top-8): 1. Neeraj Chopra (Ind, 86.18m), 2. Julius Yego (Ken, 84.51), 3. Rumesh Pathirage (84.34m), 4. Sachin Yadav (82.33), 5. Cyprian Mrzygłod (Pol, 82.23), 6. Curtis Thompson (USA, 81.5), 7. Luiz Mauricio Da Silva (Bra, 80.31), 8. Yashvir Singh (Ind, 79.65m)