Neeraj Chopra is the primary Indian to win a gold at World Athletics Championships. AP
A World Championships gold was the crowning glory of this season however famous person javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has a title to defend as he takes the sphere towards acquainted rivals on the prestigious Diamond League finals right here on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Chopra lifted the Diamond League champion’s trophy in Zurich final yr and he could be trying to do the identical once more after dominating the season which noticed him win his maiden World Championships title in Budapest in August.
If Chopra holds the trophy and pockets the USD 30,000 prize cash on the Prefontaine Basic, he’ll develop into solely the third man to defend the DL general title, although the format modified in 2017.
Associated Articles
The Diamond League started in 2010 however the format of getting a winner-takes-all grand finale, competed amongst high six (high eight earlier) on the premise of accrued factors in particular person legs, was launched in 2017. Earlier than that factors of all assembly sequence have been added with the grand finale carrying two instances of that of particular person legs.
Vitezslav Vesely of Czech Republic was DL champion in 2012 and 2013, whereas compatriot Jakub Vadlejch, who’s Chopra’s present closest rival, did the identical in 2016 and 2017.
Chopra, who has a private better of 89.94m, received two particular person DL conferences in Doha on Might 5 and Lausanne on June 30 earlier than clinching a historic gold within the World Championships.
In between Doha and Lausanne, he suffered a groin pressure whereas coaching and that saved him out of competitors for practically one month.
Chopra had develop into solely the third javelin thrower in historical past to carry each the Olympic and World Championships crowns after profitable the worlds title in Budapest with a throw of 88.17m.
Only a few days after profitable the World Championships title, he competed within the Zurich DL leg on August 31 when he completed second behind Vadlejch, the primary time Chopra couldn’t end in high spot this season.
Defending Diamond League champion, world champion and Olympic champion Chopra has a season’s better of 88.77m within the qualifying spherical in Budapest, the second greatest distance on the world record this yr.
Moreover defending his title, he would even be trying to throw 90m for the primary time, a distance which has eluded him thus far. The Indian will probably be returning to Hayward Subject the place he received silver within the 2022 World Championships behind Anderson Peters of Grenada who can even be in motion on Saturday.
Vadlejch, who received bronze in Budapest Worlds and silver in Tokyo Olympics behind Chopra, has been a constant campaigner on the worldwide stage and owns the world season lead at 89.51m.
With a private better of 90.88m, he could be trying to flip the tables on Chopra who had crushed him within the DL finals final yr.
He’ll are available with numerous confidence having crushed Chopra in Zurich leg of DL on August 31. He will probably be looking for his third DL trophy after 2016 and 2017.
When will the Diamond League 2023 Finals happen?
The Diamond League finals will happen on 16 September (Saturday) and 17 September (Sunday)
The place will the Diamond League Finals 2023 happen?
The Diamond League Finals 2023 will happen at Hayward Subject in Eugene, USA.
What time will the boys’s javelin throw occasion start?
The lads’s javelin throw occasion will start at 12.50 am on 17 September.
How can I watch the Diamond League Finals 2023 on TV and dwell streaming?
The Diamond League Finals 2023 will probably be broadcast on Sports activities 18, each SD and HD channels. It will also be dwell streamed on the JioCinema web site and app.
With inputs from PTI