WATCH - Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st Indian to win Diamond League title with 88.44m javelin throw
Friday, 9 September 2022 (14:44 IST)
Zurich: Reigning Olympics javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra added another feather to his cap after becoming the first Indian athlete to win the Zurich Diamond League Final.
Chopra's second throw, measuring 88.44m, won him his maiden Diamond League trophy on Thursday.
He had qualified for the Finals in 2017 and 2018, finishing seventh and fourth respectively.
Chopra overstepped and fouled in his first attempt while Olympic silver medallist Czech's Jakub Vadlejch took an early lead, throwing 84.15m and 86.00m in the first two rounds. But the India then sent his spear out to 88.84m at the end of round two, giving the Olympic champion the lead. He followed it with throws of 88.00m and 86.11m, while Vadlejch improved to 86.94m in round four.
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There were no changes in the final two rounds, though Chopra had an 87.00m effort in the penultimate round.
Chopra had finished first at the Lausanne Diamond League meet in August - becoming the first Indian in history to win a leg of the Diamond League after coming from an injury layoff.
He had missed the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a groin injury he had suffered during his silver-winning performance in the World Championships in USA in July.
The win in Lausanne along with a second-place finish at the Stockholm leg, steered the Indian javelin thrower to the Grand Final in Zurich. He was the only Indian athlete to qualify for this year’s grand finale.
The Indian javelin ace competed in six competitions and rewrote his national record twice this season. He also became the first Indian to win a silver at the world athletics championships in July. (UNI)
