It’s history in the making; Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra made a strong comeback from injury and made history on Friday at the Lausanne Diamond League (August 26). Chopra won the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League Meeting, becoming the first Indian to do so. So far this season, the Indian javelin champion has had an outstanding season.

Chopra appeared poised to defend his Commonwealth Games title after winning silver at the World Athletics Championships earlier this year. He was forced to withdraw from the Games due to a groyne injury sustained during the World Championships final.

Chopra made a stunning comeback in the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday, winning with a strong throw of 89.08m in his first attempt. He went on to throw 85.18m on his second attempt before passing on his third. He fouled on his fourth attempt, passed on his fifth, and finished with an 80.04m throw on his final attempt.

He is the first Indian javelin thrower and, after Vikas Gowda, the second athlete to finish in the top three at a Diamond League meet. Gowda placed second in Diamond League meets in New York and Doha in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Chopra, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, also qualified for the Diamond League finals in Zurich next month by winning the Lausanne leg. He is the first Indian to have qualified for the finals, which are set to take place on September 7 and 8. On Friday, he also broke the 85.20 qualifying mark for the 2023 Athletics World Championships. Chopra appeared pleased with his recovery and rehabilitation following his victory, and he expressed confidence in putting on a show in the finals next month.

‘I am overjoyed with my performance tonight. 89m is an excellent performance. I’m especially pleased because I’m recovering from an injury, and tonight was a good indication that I’ve recovered well’, Chopra stated after winning the Lausanne Diamond League. ‘ I was nervous because I had to miss the Commonwealth Games due to injury.  Tonight’s performance has given me a lot of confidence that I can finish the season on a high note with a strong performance in the Zurich DL Finale’, he continued.