Neeraj Chopra Diamond League 2022 Zurich
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal at the Olympics, made history today by becoming the first Indian to win the coveted Diamond League Finals championship. Chopra started up with a foul but quickly moved to the top with a throw of 88.44m on his second attempt, which ended up being his winning throw. His subsequent four throws covered 88.00m, 86.11m, 87.00m, and 83.60m.
Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, an Olympic silver medalist, came in second with a best throw of 86.94 meters, which he recorded on his fourth attempt. With a best of 83.73m, German athlete Julian Weber finished third.
“Today’s match with Jakub Vadlejch was excellent; he threw also really nicely. I was hoping to get 90m today. But it’s all right since I have the diamond prize, which was what mattered most to me. Neeraj added, “And because my family is here.
They are participating in a global competition for the first time. They came to see me because this will be my final tournament before we travel to France and Paris for a vacation.
After Eugene, I was hurt, so I need to take a couple of weeks off before starting my recovery and getting ready for the upcoming season.
The 24-year-old Indian sensation is currently the Diamond League winner, the silver medalist from the World Championships, and the Olympic champion. He completed all of things in just 13 months. On August 7 of the previous year, he had won the Olympic gold in Tokyo.
Six times this season, he has produced throws of 88 meters or longer, demonstrating his consistency. He set a new national record this year, clearing 89.94 meters.
Chopra concluded his international season with a performance that changed the course of history. The most prestigious competition outside of the Olympics and World Championships can be regarded as the Diamond League Finals.
Chopra was participating in the Diamond League Finals for the third time. In 2017 and 2018, he had placed seventh and fourth, respectively.
Chopra also received a Diamond Trophy, US$30,000 in prize money, and a wild card to the Budapest, Hungary, 2023 World Athletics Championships.
He has, however, already earned a spot at the World Championships because his winning throw in the Lausanne leg exceeded the required 85.20 meters.
The Diamond League, which is structured like a championship, consists of 32 Diamond Disciplines. At the 13-series event, competitors collect points to advance to the final of their respective disciplines.
Chopra won the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League series on August 26 to make an impressive comeback from a one-month injury layoff and earn a spot in these Finals.
With his third-best throw of his career of 89.08 meters, he had became the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet title in Lausanne.
A slight groin injury he had sustained during his silver-winning performance at the World Championships in the United States in July prevented him from competing in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which were held from July 28 to August 8.
World champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who is recovering from injuries after being attacked inside a boat in his nation last month, was absent from the six-man field in Zurich.
Chopra defeated Vadlejch, 31, on Thursday for the fifth time since taking home the gold in the Tokyo Olympics in August of last year.
When Chopra placed second in the Stockholm Diamond League (June 14) and the Paavo Nurmi Games, Vadlejch was sixth and fourth, respectively (June 30).
Vadlejch won bronze in the World Championships in Eugene while Chopra took home silver, and the two faced off again on August 26 in Lausanne.
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