New Delhi, August 20(HS): Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra will skip the final leg of the Diamond League series in Brussels on Friday, despite having already secured his spot in the prestigious Diamond League Final in Zurich.

Out of 14 Diamond League legs this season, men’s javelin throw featured only in four. Neeraj competed in just two but still comfortably qualified for the Zurich showdown, scheduled for 28 August. He had earlier skipped the Silesia leg on August 16 as well.

The 27-year-old champion made headlines in May by crossing the much-anticipated 90m mark in Doha (90.23m) — finishing second behind Germany’s Julian Weber. He later clinched victory at the Paris Diamond League in June with a throw of 88.16m. His most recent outing was on July 5 at the NC Classic in Bengaluru, where he registered 86.18m to secure the title. So far this season, Neeraj has contested in six events, winning four and finishing runner-up in two.

Following the Brussels leg, the top six athletes will confirm their places in the Diamond League Final. Chopra’s men’s javelin event will take place on August 28 in Zurich, where he will aim for the Diamond Trophy, a prize purse of $30,000, and a coveted wildcard for the World Athletics Championships.

Meanwhile, this year’s Diamond League has raised prize money for eight marquee events, offering $50,000 to winners, with second and third-place finishers receiving $20,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Next up, Neeraj will defend his world title at the World Championships in Tokyo (September 13–21), making the Zurich Final a key stepping stone in his build-up.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar