The reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra showcased his exceptional talent once again after recovering from a one-month injury lay-off. Despite skipping three major events due to a muscle strain sustained during training, the 25-year-old athlete secured a resounding victory in the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League, marking his second consecutive win of the season in this prestigious series.
Bumpy beginning
Chopra’s remarkable performance unfolded with a bit of a rocky start. His first attempt resulted in a foul, followed by throws of 83.52m and 85.04m. Another foul occurred in the fourth round, but he managed to make an impressive comeback with a winning throw of 87.66m in the fifth round. In his final attempt, Chopra recorded a distance of 84.15m.
Despite acknowledging that he is still far from his best form, the champion expressed his relief that things are improving for him. He admitted feeling nervous about his comeback from injury and credited the colder weather as a contributing factor to his unease.
“I wanted to win so I’m super happy with the results but I also want to go back to training and fix some of the things that I noticed and that are going to make me stronger. Lausanne always treats me well. Last year I won and this year too, so I look forward to coming again next year and winning again! The next competition, Budapest, will be a big one for me,” an IE report quoted Chopra as saying.
Finishing 5th in men’s long jump
On the other hand, Murali Sreeshankar, competing in the men’s long jump event, had a relatively modest performance, finishing fifth with a best effort of 7.88m. This distance fell significantly short of his season and personal best of 8.41m, which he achieved during the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar earlier this month. Despite clinching the third spot in the Paris leg on June 9, securing his maiden Diamond League podium finish, Sreeshankar was unable to replicate his remarkable results in Lausanne.