A World Championships gold was the crowning glory of this season, but superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has a title to defend as he takes the field against familiar rivals at the prestigious Diamond League finals here on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Chopra lifted the Diamond League champion’s trophy in Zurich last year and he would be looking to do the same again after dominating the season which saw him win his maiden World Championships title in Budapest in August.
If Chopra wins and pockets the $30,000 prize money at the Prefontaine Classic, he will become only the third man to defend the Diamond League overall title, though the format changed in 2017.
The Diamond League began in 2010 but the format of having a winner-takes-all grand finale, competed among top six (top eight earlier) on the basis of accumulated points in individual legs, was introduced in 2017.
Vitezslav Vesely of Czech Republic was Diamond League champion in 2012 and 2013, while compatriot Jakub Vadlejch, who is Chopra’s current closest rival, did the same in 2016 and 2017.
Olympic gold medallist Chopra, who has a personal best of 89.94m, won two individual Diamond League meetings in Doha on May 5 and Lausanne on June 30 before clinching a historic gold in the World Championships.
Live on Sports18 and JioCinema from 12.50am IST on Sunday
