Newly-crowned world champion Neeraj Chopra was not at his greatest however nonetheless completed second with a remaining spherical throw of 85.71m within the males’s javelin occasion of the Diamond League Assembly right here on Thursday.
The 25-year-old Chopra, additionally the reigning Olympic champion, produced three authorized throws of 80.79m, 85.22m and 85.71m whereas the remaining three have been fouls. He completed behind Jakub Vadlejch (85.86m) of Czech Republic, who had gained a bronze within the World Championships.
The Indian celebrity, who was unbeaten this season earlier than Thursday, certified for the Diamond League finals to be held on September 17 in Eugene, USA, with 23 factors from three meets. He had gained the Diamond League trophy final yr.
He had gained the Diamond League Conferences in Doha (Could 5) and Lausanne (June 30) — his solely two competitions earlier than successful a historic gold within the World Championships in Budapest on Sunday with a throw of 88.17m.
Throughout the pre-event press convention right here, Chopra had mentioned that he was feeling a little bit of ache on his shoulder and again after successful gold within the World Championships. He was not 100 per cent match in the course of the showpiece occasion as a result of a groin pressure he had sustained whereas coaching in Could-June.
Chopra started with a modest 80.79m which put him within the second spot however he fouled the subsequent two throws to slide to fifth on the midway stage when Germany’s Julian Weber was main.
However Chopra pulled off 85.22m in his fourth try which noticed him rise to second. By that point, Vadlejch had taken the lead.
Chopra fouled his fifth throw once more bit achieved his better of the day — 85.71m — in his final throw.
Within the males’s lengthy soar, Murali Sreeshankar completed fifth with a primary spherical soar of seven.99m.
Sreeshankar, who had did not qualify for the finals within the just-concluded World Championships in Budapest, led the sector after the primary spherical. However, he slowly slipped out of the highest three as he couldn’t enhance upon his first spherical soar.
He was third until the top of the third spherical however slipped to fifth within the fourth and remained there until the top.
Olympic and world champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece gained gold with a sixth and remaining spherical soar of 8.20m.
