Zurich, Switzerland, September 9, 2022: Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Thursday, September 8, achieved yet another historic feat as he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League Finals title.
Chopra began with a foul but jumped to the top spot with a throw of 88.44 metres – his fourth career best – in his second attempt, and that turned out to be his winning effort.
Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlech of the Czech Republic finished second with a throw of 86.94m. Julian Weber of Germany was third with a best of 83.73m.
The 24-year-old Indian superstar is now the Olympic champion, World Championships silver medallist and Diamond League champion. All these he achieved in the last 13 months, starting with the Olympic gold in Tokyo last August.
The Athletics Federation of India tweeted: “Golds, Silvers done, he gifts a 24-carat Diamond this time to the nation. Ladies and Gentlemen, salute the great #NeerajChopra for winning the #DiamondLeague Finals.”
Chopra was awarded a Diamond Trophy, US$30,000 prize money and a wild card for the 2023 World Athletic Championships in Budapest, Hungary.