New Delhi, India, August 27, 2022: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra made athletics history in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday, August 26, becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League event.
The 24-year-old javelin ace, who won silver at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, last month – also a first for the country – opened with an impressive 89.08m and that turned out to be the winning throw.
The victory also helped Chopra to qualify for the Diamond League finals in Zurich next month.
“I am delighted with my result tonight. 89 metres is a great performance. I am especially pleased as I am coming back from an injury and tonight was a good indicator that I have recovered well,” Chopra said.
“I had to skip the Commonwealth Games due to injury and I was a bit nervous. Tonight has given me a lot of confidence to finish the season on a high with a strong performance in the Zurich Final,” he added.
Chopra also qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary by breaching the 85.20m qualifying mark.
Source: The Hindu