Despite opting out of Zurich leg Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Diamond League 2024 final, will not face Arshad Nadeem in Brussels

Neeraj Chopra has qulaified for the Diamond League 2024 final despite missing the Zurich leg. Grenada's Anderson Peters continued his domination with another first-place finish.

Profile

SportsTak Desk

Neeraj Chopra after winning the silver medal at Paris Olympics (File Photo: Getty Images)

Neeraj Chopra after winning the silver medal at Paris Olympics (File Photo: Getty Images)

Highlights:

Arshad Nadeem finished eighth on the standings as he did not participate in three out of four events due to injury.

Neeraj Chopra skipped the Zurich leg but booked his placed in the Diamond League final next week.

India's two-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Diamond League 2024 final to be held on September 13 and 14 in Brussels. Neeraj is placed fourth in the Diamond League standings with 14 points. He had opted out of the Zurich leg as he wanted to avoid a groin injury and strengthen his blocking leg ahead of the final.
 

In Neeraj's absence, there were no records broken in Zurich. Grenada's Anderson Peters threw 85.72m to finish first. He was followed by Germany's Julian Weber with a 85.33m throw. Japan's Roderick Genki Dean finished third as he recorded a 82.69m throw.
 

The six athletes who qualified for the Diamond League are - Peters (29 points), Weber (21 points), Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch (16 points), Neeraj (14 points), Moldova's Andrian Mardare (13 points) and Roderick (12 points). 
 

Pakistan’s Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem missed out on the final spot with five points to his name. He opted out of three qualification rounds due to an injury which he carried at the games to break the all-time Olympic record.

 

ALSO READ: 'Shan Masood is a very smart cricketer. I know that guy': R Ashwin stunned to see Pakistan Test team's downfall
 

Neeraj’s run in Diamond League 2024

Earlier, Neeraj recorded second-place finishes in Doha (May 10) and Lausanne (August 22). In Lausanne, he threw 89.49m to almost secure his place in the final. Meanwhile, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist is still aiming to break the 90m barrier. 

 

ALSO READ: 'Kookaburra is different and you need to...': Ex-India coach wants injured pacer to be in Rohit Sharma-led squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024
 

Neeraj not ready to push his body beyond limit

The 26-year-old has not been feeling 100 per cent fit. After talking to the doctors, he has understood the need to slow down and listen to his body.
 

"I need to strengthen my blocking leg when I throw because that's when my groin gets pulled. We're working on that to see how we can reduce the impact on the groin and control the pressure on it," he was quoted as saying by ESPN.
 

"I could have competed in more events for sure and that was the plan. But I have realised that my health is paramount, that comes first. Even if I feel the slightest discomfort or like I am pushing myself too much in training, I've learnt to pause for a bit," he added.
 

MORE ON SPORTS TAK:

'KL Rahul was listening to everything because...': Star bowling all-rounder drops truth bomb on Sanjiv Goenka-LSG captain episode in IPL 2024

Big blow to Pakistan amidst Champions Trophy 2025 concerns, series against England likely to be staged outside the country

    Share