World Athletics Championships: Kushare Leaps to Personal Best; Chopra and Weber Set for Javelin Showdown

After Sarvesh Anil Kushare scaled new heights to improve his personal best to finish sixth in men’s high jump on Tuesday, Indian fans will look to defending champion Neeraj Chopra and three of his compatriots getting into competition mode in the qualification round of men’s javelin throw on Wednesday. Chopra and Sachin Yadav will be first to go in Group A followed by Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh in Group B. Chopra will aim for the automatic qualification mark of 84.5m on his first attempt. Ranked No. 2 in the world, he will be the first to go followed by German World No. 1 Julian Weber. Olympic champ Arshad Nadeem will go first in Group B.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Neeraj vs Weber, Nadeem Chopra’s team is confident that on his day he can add a few metres to his personal best of 90.23 which he produced at the Doha Diamond League earlier this season. “Not only one (metre), he could add a few more,” his team told TOI, “Neeraj is always able to throw far when he is under pressure. The confidence comes from training and being injury free.” It’s going to be a battle between Weber, Chopra and Nadeem. Nadeem is returning after a training-cum-rehab session in London. Kushare raises the bar The Maharashtra athlete cleared his personal best height of 2.28m, and won a creditable sixth place finish. The man from Deogaon near Nashik, who went in with a world rank of 38 and season’s best of 2.26m. Kiwi Hamish Kerr won gold clearing 2.36m. Kushare failed thrice at 2.31m and finished at 2.28 alongside US jumpers — JuVaughn Harrison (fifth) and Tyus Wilson (7th). Their final placings were decided on countback. INDIANS IN ACTION TODAY: Praveen Chitravel, Abdulla Aboobaker (Men’s triple jump, qualification) — 3.35 pm; Neeraj Chopra, Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, Rohit Yadav (Men’s Javelin throw qualification, Group A & B) — 3.40 & 5.15 pm; Animesh Kujur (Men’s 200m heats) — 4.45 pm.