Neeraj Chopra鈥檚 Road to LA 2028: How India鈥檚 Javelin Star Can Qualify
The two-time Olympic medallist will have to meet the 85.50m entry standard or secure a place through the World Athletics rankings to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra has a new target on the horizon: the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. After winning gold at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024, the Indian javelin star will aim to secure a place at his third consecutive Olympics.
However, previous Olympic medals do not guarantee an automatic entry into the next edition. Like other athletes, Chopra will have to qualify under the system announced by World Athletics for LA28.
Neeraj Chopra Needs 85.50m for LA 2028
World Athletics has set the automatic entry standard for the men’s javelin throw at 85.50 metres. To qualify through this route, Chopra must achieve or surpass the mark during the official qualification period.
The qualification window for the men’s javelin throw will run from 19 June 2027 to 18 June 2028. Performances recorded before this period will not count towards meeting the LA28 entry standard.
Chopra has already demonstrated his ability to cross the mark. His personal best and Indian national record stand at 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League in May 2025. However, he will need another qualifying performance within the designated window.
Two Qualification Routes for LA 2028
The LA28 athletics qualification system will follow a dual pathway, with approximately 40 per cent of available places expected to be awarded through entry standards and the remaining 60 per cent through World Athletics rankings.
For Chopra, this means there are two possible routes to the Olympics:
1. Achieving the Entry Standard
The most direct route is to throw at least 85.50m at an eligible competition during the qualification window. However, meeting the mark will not automatically guarantee an Olympic place if more athletes achieve the standard than the available quota allows.
In that situation, athletes with the best performances during the qualification period will be selected, subject to the event’s quota.
2. Qualifying Through World Rankings
Chopra can also secure a place through the World Athletics rankings if he does not achieve the automatic entry standard. The remaining quota places will be allocated based on the rankings, depending on how many athletes qualify through the entry-standard route.
The number of places available through rankings will therefore depend on how many athletes secure qualification by meeting the required mark.
3.Athletes to Compete in Men’s Javelin
The men’s javelin throw at LA28 will have a quota of 32 athletes, with a maximum of three athletes permitted from each National Olympic Committee.
This makes the qualification process competitive, as leading javelin throwers from across the world will be competing for limited places. Even athletes who cross the 85.50m mark will need to ensure their performances are strong enough to secure a place if the entry-standard route becomes oversubscribed.
World Athletics is expected to launch its official ‘Road to LA’ qualification monitoring tool in the latter part of 2027, allowing fans to follow athletes’ progress towards the Games.
Neeraj Chopra Targets a Third Olympic Appearance
Chopra made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by winning India’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in athletics with a throw of 87.58m. He followed it up with a silver medal at Paris 2024, recording 89.45m in the final.
His personal best of 90.23m, set in Doha in 2025, remains the Indian national record. With two Olympic medals already to his name, the javelin star will now look to earn his place at LA28 and continue his remarkable Olympic journey.
The road to Los Angeles will require another strong qualification campaign, with the 85.50m entry standard and world rankings offering the two routes to the Games.
