Buoyed by a strong start to the season, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is primed to clinch his maiden Diamond League medal in his first appearance in four years in the prestigious one-day meet in Stockholm on Thursday. The 24-year-old Chopra was second in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku with a big national record throw of 89.30m before winning his event at Kuortane Games with a creditable 86.60m effort under treacherous conditions.
The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital will be Chopra's biggest event ahead of the World Championships in Eugene, USA, next month. He will also be facing the toughest field of the season so far with all the three Tokyo Olympics medallists in fray.
Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic and compatriot Tokyo Games bronze winner Vitezslav Vesely will also be in action. This will be the first time all the Tokyo Olympics medal winners will be in action together this season. Vadlejch, who was sixth at Paavo Nurmi Games with a best throw of 83.91m, returns after skipping the Kuortane Games.
The same is the case for Germany's Julian Weber, who returns after finishing fifth at Paavo Nurmi Games with 84.02m.
The Indian superstar has beaten reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada twice this month. Peters, who will compete at Diamond Leagues, has seen a dip in form after winning the Doha Diamond League meet with a season-leading throw of 93.07m. After that, he had thrown 86.60m at Paavo Nurmi Games for a third place and 84.75m in Kuortane Games for another third position.
Peters' fitness could also be a concern as he did not complete all his throws in an event at Orimattila in Finland last week, recording a best throw of 71.94m.
Finland's Oliver Helander, who surprisingly won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games with a big throw of 89.83m, will also be seen in action after skipping the Kuortane Games.
When will Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event take place at Stockholm Diamond League 2022?
Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at Stockholm Diamond League 2022 will be held at approximately 10:52 PM IST on June 30 (Thursday).
How can one watch Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at Stockholm Diamond League 2022?
Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at Stockholm Diamond League 2022 will be broadcast on Sports18 1 SD & HD channel.
How can one watch the live streaming of Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at Stockholm Diamond League 2022?
The live streaming of Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at Stockholm Diamond League 2022 will be available on Voot website as well as on the app.