Only a month after Neeraj Chopra scripted history by clinching gold in men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he finds himself on the brink of immortality again, with the Diamond League 2023 final on the horizon.
The 25-year-old became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the world meet last year, and he did it in style, recording a best throw of 88.17m in the final.
The Journey To Eugene
Chopra kicked off his 2023 Diamond League season with a win in Doha on 5 May, courtesy of an 88.67m throw. A month later, he continued exercising his supremacy by finishing first at the Lausanne meet as well, this time recording an 87.66m throw.
However, with the World Athletics Championships scheduled for August, Neeraj opted to skip the Monaco leg of the Diamond League in July.
He then made a stunning comeback yet again, by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. In what was the shortest duration between competitions for Chopra this season, four days post being crowned a world champion in Budapest, he finished second at the Zurich leg, behind Jakub Vadlejch, who measured a throw of 85.86 metres with a distance of 85.71 metres.
Final Showdown
With the Diamond League final in Eugene up next and the Asian Games in Hangzhou thereafter, Chopra still has a little work left to do. He is driven to compete in both championships and push himself, but there is also a tinge of prudence in his desire to avoid being hurt before the season is through.
Although he acknowledges there is "not enough time" between the two tournaments, the 25-year-old says he will make preparations to be "mentally prepared" to compete.
He now has added every trophy to his star studded cabinet that matters in the world of javelin – essentially, having 'completed' the haul – but aims to keep on adding more accolades to his cabinet.
“There will be a lot of travelling. I want to play both the competitions well and without any injury. There’s not much time left now, I will have to prepare myself well. There is a big time difference and I will try my best,” he had said.
There is a sense of certitude that lies within the minds of Indians whenever he begins sprinting from the top of the runway. His fans have come to trust that he wouldn't come back empty handed once he picks up the javelin because of his outstanding consistency over the years.
A Look At The Opponents
With the second-place finish at Zurich earning him 7 points, bringing his total for the competition to 23 points, Chopra is placed third overall. With 29 points, Vadlejch, who was the runner-up at the Tokyo Olympics, is in the lead. Julian Weber is placed second with 25 points but the German has pulled out of the weekend's finale along with Keshorn Walcott, and have been replaced by Andrian Mardare and Curtis Thompson.
Date, Time & Other Essential Information
Men's javelin throw will be happening on Saturday, 16 September, at Eugene in the USA. The event will commence at 12:50am IST (17 September), with JioCinema and Sports18 broadcasting the event.
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