Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League title, finishes 1st with 89.08m throw

The victory also helped Neeraj Chopra to qualify for the Diamond League finals in Zurich next month.

The 24-year-old javelin thrower who won the silver at the World Championships in the USA last month — also a first for the country — opened with an impressive 89.08m and that turned out to be the winning throw in the end.

The 24-year-old-boy, Chopra qualified for the Diamond League Finals in Zurich on September 7 and 8 and with this, he also became the first Indian to do so. Despite the win, he remained in the fourth spot with 15 points — with the addition of eight points on Friday. The top six after the Lausanne’s leg qualify for Zurich Finals.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch finished second with a best throw of 85.88m, followed by USA’s Curtis Thompson was third with a best effort of 83.72m.

In July this year, Chopra had also created a historic moment for India with becoming only the second Indian and first male track and field athlete to win a medal in the World Championships by bagging silver in the javelin throw final.

Neeraj’s victory in Lausanne not only helped him seal the crown in Switzerland but also made sure that he qualifies for the Diamond League finals, which will take place in Zurich on September 7. India’s golden boy also qualified for the 2023 World Championship in Budapest. Chopra qualified for the tournament by breaching the 85.20 metre qualifying mark on his first attempt.

Neeraj last competed in the World Championships in Eugene last month, where he wrote history by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to win a silver medal. He didn’t participate in the Commonwealth Games, which took place in Birmingham due to fitness issues, and only made a comeback on Friday, in which he created a new record.