Paris 2024 Olympics Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra vs Jakub Vadlejch head-to-head record
Neeraj Chopra and Jakub Vadlejch will battle it out in the final round of the men's javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday, August 8.
The duo's rivalry began in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where Chopra emerged as the gold medal winner, while Vadlejch clinched a silver medal. The 26-year-old finished with an 87.58m throw to clinch India's first-ever gold in the track and field events at the Games.
Chopra and Vadlejch competed in different groups in the qualification rounds. India's 'Golden Boy' had a fantastic round, where he progressed through the final with an 89.34m throw. Meanwhile, Vadlejch also impressed with an 85.63m throw.
Interestingly, both are the top men's javelin throw athletes in the world rankings as well. Vadlejch holds the No. 1 spot with a score of 1,419, while Chopra is second with 1,413. The Czech athlete rose to the top spot with his impressive form in recent competitions.
In his recent interviews, Chopra termed the competition between them as healthy, which also pushes them to perform better than each other. On that note, let's look at the overall head-to-head record between both athletes in different competitions over the years.
See the full head-to-head record of Neeraj Chopra vs Jakub Vadlejch
Both athletes have competed against each other in 20 competitions, and Neeraj Chopra has performed better on 12 occasions as opposed to Jakub Vadlejch's eight.
Since the Tokyo Olympics, they have met on 11 different occasions, with Chopra having better finishes in eight competitions. The World Athletics Championships saw a difference of only 4cm between both athletes, as Chopra emerged as the winner with an 88.13m throw.
Interestingly, Vadlejch has been terrific in the last three competitions, where he has finished first. In the 2024 Doha Diamond League, he beat Chopra narrowly by 2cm and will be confident ahead of his meeting in the final as well.
Nevertheless, with a better head-to-head record, Neeraj Chopra will look to defend his gold in grand fashion at the Paris Olympics 2024.