Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Diamond League Finals, also in line for WA Ultimate Championships

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Indian javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Diamond League Finals to be held in Brussels on September 5 despite competing in just two events of the prestigious one-day meeting series.

Chopra secured 12 points after finishing second in both the Doha and Lausanne DL events on June 19 and August 21 respectively to take the sixth spot in the standings and be eligible to compete in the winner-takes-all grand finale in Brussels.

The standings were updated at the end of the 14th and the last leg of the series in Zurich on Thursday.

Of the 14 Diamond League meetings of the year, five featured men's javelin throw and Chopra competed in just two.

The 28-year-old is on a comeback trail after recovering from a lower back injury that has troubled him since September last year. The injury delayed his return until the Doha Diamond League.

He was not 100 per cent fit at the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games but was able to win a silver with a season's best throw of 85.83m.

For jumps and throws, the top six in the standings will compete in the September 4-5 DL Finals in Brussels. One additional athlete per discipline may also compete via a national or global wildcard selection.

The DL Finals will be held over two days in Brussels with 16 events to be organised on September 4 and the rest 16 the next day. The men's javelin event will be held on September 5.

The winner will get a trophy and pocket a minimum of $30,000. The eighth-place finisher will get $1000.

If men's javelin is chosen as one of the Diamond+ disciplines, then the winner will pocket $60,000.

Rising Sri Lankan star Rumesh Pathirage is at the top spot of the standings with 39 points, making him the favourite to walk away with the DL trophy in Brussels also.

He competed in all the five DL javelin events, won in four and finished second in one, underlining his absolute dominance this season.

On Thursday, Pathirage destroyed the 10-man field in Zurich with a stunning 92.07m throw to take the title. This was his second 90m plus throw of the season, following the 92.62m effort in Rome.