Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, who missed the recently held Commonwealth Games in the UK due to injury, is back with a bang. The 24-year-old javelin thrower created yet another history in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday (26) by becoming the first Indian ever to win a Diamond League event.
In July, Chopra won silver at the World Championships in the US, which was also a first for India.
The win in Lausanne saw Chopra qualify for the Diamond League finals in Zurich in September.
Former India cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar congratulated Chopra on his feat, tweeting, "Disappointment makes you stronger and it propels you to aim higher & become better than before. Your win at the #DiamondLeague in Lausanne just goes to show that perseverance & hard work always pays off.You are a ⭐️ @Neeraj_chopra1 ! Keep shining always."
Chopra thanked Tendulkar for his tweet.
The Indian athlete had three valid throws (85.18 metres in second and 80.04 metres in sixth) in the event after passing the third and fifth attempts.
Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, who finished second at the Tokyo Games, started as the top seed in Lausanne with a season-best throw of 90.88 metres, finished second with 85.88 metres. Curtis Thompson of the US was third with 83.72 metres.
“I am delighted with my result tonight. 89m is a great performance. I am especially pleased as I am coming back from an injury and tonight was a good indicator that I have recovered well,” Chopra said after the event.
“I had to skip Commonwealth Games due to injury and I was a bit nervous. Tonight has given me a lot of confidence to finish the season on a high, with a strong performance in Zurich DL Final.”
Chopra, who is the first Indian to qualify for the Diamond League Finals in Zurich on September 7 and 8, remained in fourth spot with 15 points despite the win — with the addition of eight points on Friday.
The top six after the Lausanne leg qualify for the Zurich finals.
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images
