[Watch] Neeraj Chopra sweats it out in Turkey as he looks to defend his gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024

Tokyo 2020 Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra is gearing up for yet another top finish in the Paris 2024 Olympics. With less than a day to go for the Games to kick off, 117 athletes are gearing up to break India's tally of seven medals in the Tokyo Games.

Honing his skill before arriving at the French Capital, Neeraj Chopra was seen sweating it out in Antalya, Turkey. Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to X on Thursday to share a glimpse of Chopra's rigorous training session.

"Our Tokyo Olympic Gold Medalist @Neeraj_chopra1's training in Antalya, Turkey, showcases the incredible talent & hard work that defines Indian athletics. As he sharpens his skills for #Olympics2024, and starts the journey to create History, I wish him luck!" he wrote on X.

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Neeraj Chopra remains India's best hope for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Neeraj Chopra stands as India's top medal contender in Paris, having maintained an impressive streak of podium finishes since his gold win in Tokyo. Despite the competitive field, his consistency is expected to shine through. A minor adductor strain had sidelined Chopra from some events ahead of the Olympics, but his coach Klaus Bartonietz confirms he’s now fully recovered.

This season, the world's elite javelin throwers have been hitting the 87-89m range, a zone where Chopra excels. The fact that he has yet to achieve a 90m throw doesn't diminish his achievements; his victories within this range have set him apart. Despite fewer appearances this year, his 88.36m throw at the Doha Diamond League remains among the top throws of 2024.

Chopra's main rivals at the Paris 2024 Olympics will include Jakub Vadlejch, who bested him at the Doha event and recently won the European Athletics Championships. He will also face some stiff competition from Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who took silver at last year’s World Championships. Both Jakub and Nadeem have crossed Chopra's personal best with the latter even crossing the 90m mark.

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