Neeraj finishes 2nd at Lausanne Diamond League

Lausanne, Aug 23: India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra narrowly missed the 90-meter mark by just 51 centimetres, finishing second in the men's javelin throw event at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024 athletics competition on Friday.

Fresh from winning a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with an 89.45-meter throw, Neeraj improved his season-best to 89.49 meters in Lausanne. Anderson Peters of Grenada clinched first place with a new meet record of 90.61 meters, while Julian Weber of Germany took third with a throw of 87.08 meters.

Neeraj, who is now a two-time Olympic medallist, began the evening with modest throws, failing to breach the 85-meter mark in his first four attempts. Ranked fourth on the leaderboard for much of the event, he moved up to third place with an 85.58-meter throw on his penultimate attempt, earning him a place in the final round.

Competing against Peters and Weber in the final round, Neeraj secured the second-best throw of his career. His personal best and the national record for India remain at 89.94 meters, achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022.

Reflecting on his performance, Neeraj said, "The feeling wasn't great at first, but I'm happy with my throw, especially the second-best throw on my last attempt. It was a tough start, but the comeback was really nice, and I enjoyed the fighting spirit I showed."

He added, "Even though my early throws were around 80-83 meters, I pushed hard in the last two attempts, finishing strong. Competing at this high level, it’s important to stay mentally tough and fight through."

Anderson Peters, the Paris 2024 bronze medallist, broke Keshorn Walcott's 2015 record of 90.16 meters with his final throw, securing the top spot and denying Neeraj the win. This marked the second time in a month that Neeraj was edged out despite delivering the second-best throw of his career. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record with a 92.97-meter throw, once again denying Chopra victory despite his 90-meter effort.

In Lausanne, Peters established his dominance early on, starting with a strong 86.36-meter throw and improving to 88.49 meters on his second attempt. Julian Weber secured second place with an 87.08-meter throw and maintained that position until the end.

Following his second-place finish in Lausanne, Neeraj Chopra is currently third in the overall standings and in a strong position to qualify for the Diamond League Final in Brussels, set to be held in September. Neeraj made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win the Diamond League title in 2022, before settling for silver last year.

This was Neeraj Chopra’s fifth competition of the season. He has been battling injury problems, particularly to his adductor, which affected his performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Earlier in the season, he withdrew from the Ostrava Golden Spike event in May as a precautionary measure.

Neeraj’s final event of the season will be the Brussels Diamond League Final, where he hopes to continue his strong performances and aim for another title.