PARIS: It's always a bit crazy inside the athletics stadium. The sport itself is considered the Blue Riband event of the Olympics, just like swimming and gymnastics. While the last two are confined within the walls of halls, athletics is held outdoors. True to its grandeur, it is assigned to the best quarters. Here in Paris, the grand Stade de France, a place that's more than just a cathedral of sports, is hosting the events.
As soon as one walks into the stadium, the purple Mondo tracks stare straight at you. The newly-laid track has created as much hype around its fast air-bubble sandwiched base, its speed as the athletics event itself. One Mondo Duplantis had the most sublime moment on Monday when he created a world record with 6.25m in pole vault final. The performance was like Beethovan’s Symphony No 9 enjoyable and flawless; something that touches the heart. The next best vault underlines the US-born Swede’s supremacy in a sport he made his own. Sam Kendricks at 5.95m was second. He exorcised the ghost of Tokyo 2020 when he was quarantined after testing positive.
That’s in the past. For India, athletics is all about the one man Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra. He almost vanished from international competition after the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku in June. His last major competition before that was at the Doha Diamond League, where he began his season. His best was 88.36m there. Coming into the Olympics, he had a bit of an issue with the abductor muscles. However, here he seemed fit.
Neeraj said he was mindful of that and that’s why he keeps it warm. “I have that in mind and warm up properly,” he said. “That's why I came here in Paris (early) warmed up for a few days and then I came inside and started. I am feeling better now. I will try to do my best in the final.”
He needed just one throw. The 26-year-old effortlessly sent the javelin way beyond the 84m qualification mark. The digital screen flashed 89.34m – his season's best. The elusive 90m just a few centimetres away and he could well be on way to breach it in the final on Thursday. He was the leading thrower in both the groups. Close behind him was Anderson Peters who hurled the spear to 88.63m. And Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem had 86.59m. The qualification distances promise a titillating final. In Group A, Julian Weber had a 87.76m and Julius Yego, who learnt the art of throwing from watching YouTube, had 85.97m in the same group.
India’s Kishore Jenna missed out qualification with another disappointing throw of 80.73m. Neeraj stopped by for a moment to speak. “Because in the qualification round and in the final, everyone has a different mindset,” said Neeraj. “We should focus on the fact that we started well and will be better prepared for the final.”
“When the competition started, we wanted to qualify with good throws. Our target was to qualify with our first throw,” he said.
Thursday will be different with all competitors trying to win medals. Even the conditions because it will be held in the evening. “The conditions are going to be a little bit cold and definitely the mindset of the final will be different. And it will be a good and stiff competition,” he said.
Getting his first throw well has always been Neeraj’s effort but it may not happen like in Doha DL. “I try to be good in the first attempt but it doesn't always happen."
After Vinesh Phogat’s stupefying performance on the mat, the 1.4 billion souls would be praying for a second gold on Thursday.