Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the season finale of the Diamond League, despite facing a challenging season due to injury. The two-time Olympic medalist finished fourth in the overall standings after competing in 14 series meetings across the globe. The Diamond League finale, a two-day event, will be held in Brussels on September 13th and 14th.
Chopra accumulated 14 points, earning them from two second-place finishes in Doha and Lausanne. He opted out of the final series meet in Zurich on Thursday. Currently, he sits two points behind Czechia’s Jakub Vadlech, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters and German star Julian Weber lead the standings with 29 and 21 points respectively. Peters edged out Weber in the Zurich meet.
The 26-year-old Chopra, known for his impressive performances, has been dealing with a groin injury since before the Paris Olympics. This injury has hampered his attempts to break the 90m mark. Despite the setback, he managed to secure second place in the Lausanne Diamond League, where Peters achieved a remarkable throw of 90.61m.
In the Paris Olympics, Chopra added a silver medal to his Olympic collection. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won the gold with a massive throw of 92.97m. Chopra has expressed his determination to focus on his recovery and technical improvement in the upcoming months.
“First goal, go to the doctor and make my groin 100 per cent fit and also I will be technically better and try to throw far again,” he said recently about his plans for the rest of the year and beyond.
The Diamond League finale marks the end of Chopra’s season. He has a history of success in the competition, having won the Lausanne leg in 2022 and 2023 and finishing second behind Vadlejch in the 2022 finale in Eugene, USA. Each Diamond League season finale champion is awarded a prestigious “Diamond Trophy”, USD 30,000 prize money and a wildcard entry into the World Athletics Championships.
