Tough road, but Gold on the cards for Neeraj at Lausanne Diamond League

After a series of speculation on whether or not Neeraj would be participating in the event in the wake of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and medical team advising him a month's break at least owing to a groin strain that saw him opting out of the Commonwealth Games 2022, Chopra will be eyeing his first medal in the Diamond League at Athletissima.

Hyderabad: Tokyo Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be in action in the Lausanne Diamond League 2022, Switzerland after recuperating from the injury suffered during the World Athletics Championships in Eugene last month. After a series of speculation on whether or not Neeraj would be participating in the event in the wake of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and medical team advising him a month's break at least owing to a groin strain that saw him opting out of the Commonwealth Games 2022, Chopra will be eyeing his first medal in the Diamond League at Athletissima.

• Feeling strong and ready for Friday. Thanks for the support, everyone.
  See you in Lausanne! @athletissima pic.twitter.com/wx52umcVtm

  — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 23, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Feeling strong and ready for Friday. Thanks for the support, everyone.
  See you in Lausanne! @athletissima pic.twitter.com/wx52umcVtm

  — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 23, 2022

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  Feeling strong and ready for Friday. Thanks for the support, everyone.
  See you in Lausanne! @athletissima pic.twitter.com/wx52umcVtm

  — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 23, 2022

The tournament Lausanne Diamond League, slated on Friday (today) and August 26, will be represented by lone Indian, Neeraj after steeplechase athlete Avinash Sable opted out of the tournament. Chopra, who had just won silver at Stockholm World Athletics Championships 2022 with a throw of 88.13m, failed to defend his title at the Commonwealth Game and has been out of the circuit for almost a month.

Neeraj would be eyeing gold in the absence of Anderson Peters

Men's world champion Anderson Peters will not be there after he sustained injuries following an attack by crew members on a party boat in Grenada. With Peters out, there is no real hurdle for Neeraj. Although Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch has his personal best of 90.88m, a distance which Chopra has been eyeing for some time now.

The 24-year-old Peters had earlier trumped Neeraj in Eugene in July with a massive throw of 90.54m whereas Chopra's throw measured 88.13. Although, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem became the first Indian sub-continent player at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham to cross the 90m mark (90.18m) to beat Peters who had to be satisfied with a silver.

Finals of the Diamond League

The finals will take place on September 7 and 8 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Chopra will be in action on August 26th, 11 pm onwards.