Tokyo Olympics Gold: Medalist Neeraj Chopra will return to action in Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland on Friday, June 30. The star javelin thrower is eyeing a second straight top-of-the-podium finish at Diamond League after having begun the year by winning the Doha Diamond League.
Neeraj Chopra returns to Lausanne with great memories as the Indian javelin thrower had won the event last year that sealed his spot in the Diamond League Final. Neeraj won the event with a throw that nearly went 90m (89.08m).
India’s first-ever winner of the Diamond Trophy will be keen on repeating the feat in Lausanne on Friday and setting the benchmark on his return to action from injury.
Neeraj Chopra had a muscle strain after the Doha Diamond League and he pulled out of the FBK Games on June 4 at Hengelo (the Netherlands) and Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 13 as a precautionary measure.
However, he returns to action just in time for the Lausanne event, the 2nd Diamond League competition of the year which has men’s javelin in its roaster.
Neeraj has been towering over the rest in the recent past but in the Swiss city, he will face stiff competition from Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch. The Czech star snatched the world-leader tag of the season from Neeraj by registering 89.51m at the Paavo Nurmi Games.
Tokyo Olympics Gold: World champion Anderson Petersen of Grenada hasn’t had the right start to the season but he will be hoping to lay down the marker with a better show in Lausanne and better his season best of 85.88m.
Oliver Helander (SB: 87.32m, PB: 89.83m) of Finland, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott (PB: 85.85m, SB: 90.16m) of Trinidad and Tobago and Germany’s Julian Weber (SB: 88.37m, PB: 89.54m) will also be in action on Friday.
Having won the Doha Diamond League event, Chopra is currently leading the standings, with eight points, followed by Vadlejch with seven points, and Peters with six points.
Following the Lausanne event, men’s javelin throw will also be a part of the competition in the Monaco and Zurich legs on July 21 and August 31 before the Diamond League grand finale in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.
