The 28-year-old Chopra, who was the last thrower in each round, did not take his third and final attempt as he had already secured his place in the final.
GLASGOW: Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra, along with two other Indians, advanced to the Commonwealth Games men's javelin throw final after finishing among the top 12 in the qualification round as strong, shifting winds prevented athletes from achieving the automatic qualifying mark here on Thursday.
Chopra, who won the javelin throw title in 2018, finished fifth with a best effort of 79.61m, while Rohit Yadav (78.37m) and Yashvir Singh (78.36m) ended the qualification in ninth and 10th positions respectively to ensure a full Indian contingent in the medal round.
The 28-year-old Chopra, who was the last thrower in each round, did not take his third and final attempt as he had already secured his place in the final.
With a steady headwind and temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius making conditions difficult throughout the event, none of the competitors managed to breach the automatic qualification mark of 84m. As a result, the top 12 athletes progressed to the final round, which will be held on Friday.
"The conditions were not the best for javelin throwers. It was not only cold but also windy. And the wind was coming from all directions... it was really hard to assess which side it would come from. Lots of throwers were struggling today, no automatic qualification," Chopra told reporters after the event.
"It was difficult to keep ourselves warm also. We were trying to understand the conditions during the warm-up throws, but nobody was able to decode them. The athletes put in a lot of effort, but the wind dictated terms. A lot of them will be unhappy today because I don't think anyone would be satisfied with their throw," Chopra added.
Only four competitors managed to breach the 80m mark.
Sri Lanka's in-form Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, winner of the Doha and Rome Diamond League meetings this season, topped the qualification with a first-round throw of 82.84m.
Last edition silver medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada finished second with a best throw of 81.29m.
"I am really happy that I qualified and I will try for gold tomorrow. This seems to be my luck year," Pathirage said.
