Daijiworld Media Network – Brussels
Brussels, Aug 28: India’s double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has secured qualification for the six-man Diamond League Finals despite competing in only two of the five qualifying meetings this season.
Chopra accumulated 12 points to finish sixth in the men’s javelin standings, earning his place in the season-ending final scheduled to be held in Brussels on September 4 and 5. He missed three qualifying meetings, including Thursday’s event in Zurich.
Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games champion Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage topped the qualification standings with 39 points from five appearances. He capped his Zurich outing with a spectacular final throw of 92.07m, the second-longest effort of his career.
Pathirage’s personal best remains 92.62m, recorded at the Rome Diamond League in June. The 23-year-old has won four of his five Diamond League meetings this season, with his only exception coming in Rabat, where he finished second with a throw of 85.97m.
In Zurich, Pathirage opened with a strong performance and continued to improve, recording 88.23m with his second attempt and 89.90m with his third. He then produced his best throw of the evening in the final round, crossing the 92m mark.
His consistency has been particularly impressive this season, with seven throws beyond 88m, including five over 89m.
Chopra began his Diamond League campaign in Doha, where his throw of 85.69m earned him fourth place. He later produced his season-best effort of 88.05m in Lausanne on August 21, finishing second.
Qualification for the Diamond League Finals is determined by points collected throughout the series. Athletes finishing in the top eight at each meeting earn between eight and one point, with the six highest point-scorers progressing to the final.
In case of a tie on points, the athlete's best legal throw of the season is used to determine the ranking.
Anderson Peters finished second in Zurich with a season-best 86.93m, while Poland's Dawid Wegner took third with 85.16m. Julius Yego finished fifth with 81.66m, enough to secure his place in the final.
Alongside Chopra and Pathirage, Peters, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott, Curtis Thompson and Yego make up the six qualifiers for the men's javelin final in Brussels.