Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra expressed his satisfaction with his performance at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 22, where he achieved his season-best and second-best career throw of 89.49 meters. Neeraj Chopra, who recently secured a silver medal with a throw of 89.45 meters at the Paris Olympics 2024, finished in second place at the Diamond League event.
Neeraj Chopra, who faced a challenging start to the competition, initially struggled with throws of 82.10 meters and 83.21 meters. Despite the tough beginning, the 26-year-old athlete showcased his resilience by making a significant comeback in his final two attempts. His third and fourth throws measured 83.13 meters and 82.34 meters respectively, which added to his frustration.
Reflecting on his performance after the event, Neeraj Chopra admitted that he did not feel great initially but was pleased with his final result. “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. Competing at this high level, it’s important to stay mentally tough and fight through,” Neeraj Chopra said.
Neeraj Chopra’s perseverance paid off as he saved his best for the last two attempts, with a throw of 85.58 meters on his fifth attempt and a massive 89.49 meters on his final attempt, securing the second place. Grenada’s Anderson Peters won the event with a record-breaking throw of 90.61 meters, while Germany’s Julian Weber finished third with a throw of 87.08 meters.
This performance in Lausanne follows Neeraj Chopra’s successful outings at the Diamond League in 2022 and 2023, where he finished first with throws of 87.66 meters and 89.08 meters, respectively. With his strong showing in Lausanne, Neeraj Chopra has positioned himself among the top three in the Diamond League standings for the 2024 season.
Looking ahead, Neeraj Chopra is expected to compete next in Zurich on September 5 before heading to the Diamond League final in Brussels on September 13-14.
