[In Pictures] Indian athletics team lands in French capital ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
The Indian athletics team has landed in the French capital city on Tuesday (July 30) ahead of the start of the athletics events from August 1. In an Instagram post shared by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the 29-member athletics contingent – the largest contingent sent by India to this year’s summer Olympics – can be seen in Paris.
“Indian Athletics Team Touched Down at Paris,” the caption of the post read.
Indian athletics team convenes in Paris from different foreign training locations
The Indian athletics team had earlier sent its athletes to train at three different locations around the globe before the Paris 2024 Olympics. The three locations chosen were the Olympic Sports Center in Poland’s Spala, Antalya in Turkey, and St Moritz in Switzerland.
Several high-profile athletes such as javelin thrower Kishore Jena, long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and others trained at the Spala Olympics Sports Center ahead of their appearance at the Olympic Games.
Steeplechase runners Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary were based in St Moritz, while star javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was in Antalya.
Some members of the athletics contingent, such as the race walking squad and triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker stayed back in India to train at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru.
With the athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympics starting on August 1, the entire contingent has met in France to put the finishing touches to their preparations before taking part in 26 medal events. Earlier on Tuesday, Neeraj Chopra landed in Paris ahead of another Olympic Games where he will look to win back-to-back medals for India.
The athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympics will start on August 1 with the men’s and women’s 20 km race walk from 11:00 am IST onwards. The events will conclude on August 10.