Neeraj Chopra wins Gold Medal at Diamond League Finals in Zurich, becomes 1st Indian to Win the Championship
Neeraj Chopra wins Gold at Diamond League Finals: India’s Olympic Champion continued his golden run by adding another feather to his cap on Thursday. Neeraj won the prestigious Diamond League Finals in Zurich by securing Gold Medal with a throw of 88.44 metres. With his latest achievement, he also became the 1st Indian ever to win the championship.
Golds,Silvers done, he gifts a 24-carat Diamond 💎 this time to the nation 🇮🇳🤩
Ladies & Gentlemen, salute the great #NeerajChopra for winning #DiamondLeague finals at #ZurichDL with 88.44m throw.
FIRST INDIAN🇮🇳 AGAIN🫵🏻#indianathletics🔝
X-*88.44*💎-86.11-87.00-6T😀pic.twitter.com/k96w2H3An3
— Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia)
September 8, 2022
The 24-year Gold Medallist from Tokyo Olympics finished ahead of Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch and Germany’s Julian Webber to script history. His dominance on the field can be gauged by the fact that his three throws were better than the rest of the athletes in the Diamond League Final.
Began with a Foul, Backed-up with Best
The ace javelin thrower surprised many with a first foul throw but made a quick comeback in his second throw which landed at the88.44-metre mark. The second throw also turned out to be his best at the championship, bagging the Gold Medal for him. He had 88.00m, 86.11m, 87.00m and 83.60m in his next four throws.
#NeerajChopra wins #DiamondLeagueFinalpic.twitter.com/Q5zjGaOMxg
— Education Reporter (@EducationRepor2)
September 9, 2022
Neeraj’s best throw of 88.44 metres was closely followed by Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic. Vadlejch finished second with a throw of 86.94m in his fourth attempt. Along similar lines, Germany’s Julian Weber bagged the third spot with a best of 83.73m. India’s ace javelin thrower was presented with a Diamond Trophy along with USD 30,000 prize money. His victory also earned him a wildcard entry at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Golden Run of 13 Months
The last 13 months have been a Golden Run for Neeraj Chopra, in which he has given his best performance, bagging multiple championships and medals. The 24-year-old athlete has won Olympic Gold Medal at Tokyo Games, has been a silver medallist at the World Championships and has now bagged the Diamon League Championship. This year, he missed out on the opportunity to compete in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 after suffering an injury at World Championships in the US in July.In this season, Neeraj has put up a stellar and consistent performance, recording 6 throws of above 88-plus meters. His personal best and the national record of 89.94m was also created this season.
About Diamond League
The Diamond League Finals can be considered the most prestigious competition outside of the Olympics and World Championships. The league comprises 32 Diamond Disciplines, which athletes complete in a championship model. Athletes have to earnpoints at the 13-series meet to qualify for the finals in their respective disciplines.
