New Delhi: Neeraj Chopra, the celebrated Olympic champion in javelin throw, is set to make his comeback at the upcoming sixth stage of the highly esteemed Diamond League in Lausanne on June 30. After recovering from a muscle strain, the Indian world number one has been listed as a participant in the javelin throw event, according to the official announcement made by the event organizers. Alongside Chopra, two other prominent Indian athletes, Jeswin Aldrin and Sreeshankar, have been registered for the long jump category.
The official website of the competition recently stated, "In the javelin event, the Indian Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will face tough competition from Czech athlete Jakub Vadlejch and German athlete Julian Weber."
Chopra had shared on Twitter last month that he had suffered a muscle strain during his training, leading him to withdraw as a precautionary measure from the FBK Games in the Netherlands (held on June 4) and the Paavo Nurmi meet in Finland (held on June 13). Regrettably, he was unable to participate in the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar as well. However, the determined athlete has a scheduled tournament at the Golden Spike Ostrava in the Czech Republic on June 27.
Here is his tweet:
Impressively, the 25-year-old kicked off the season in spectacular fashion by winning the Doha Diamond League on May 5 with an incredible throw of 88.67m. Chopra's phenomenal achievement marked a historic moment for India, as he became the first Indian athlete to secure an individual Olympic medal in athletics during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Looking ahead, there are several notable upcoming events, including the World Championships (August 19-27) in Budapest, Hungary, along with the Diamond League Finals and the Asian Games, which are anticipated to captivate the athletic world.
(With Inputs From PTI)