Neeraj Chopra had a strong performance at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday, achieving his season’s best throw of 89.49 metres. This throw was slightly better than his effort at the recent Paris Olympics, where he achieved a season’s best throw of 89.45m.
After the competition, Neeraj Chopra shared his thoughts on the Diamond League. “Luckily, after Paris, it was not too much. So, I did some treatment with my physio. He did really well, and I feel good. I had some very easy throwing sessions after Paris. It was a strange competition today. In the beginning, I didn’t feel that I could throw that far, but in the end, it was really good,” Neeraj said.
The pain for 90m continues
Although the 26-year-old achieved his season’s best throw, he was frustrated for not reaching the 90m mark. His throw was the second-best of the night, with Anderson Peters recording the best throw at 90.61m.
“(Anderson) Peters threw 90m. My body didn’t feel great, but the fighting spirit was nice today. I really liked my comeback. In the last throw, I didn’t overthink it; I just gave my best,” Chopra added.
“In the first throw, I thought about what I would do, but in the last throw, I didn’t. Julius Yego also said, ‘Relax, you will throw far.’ I tried to relax,” he said.
Final to take place in September
Following the Paris Olympics, Chopra suggested he might need a long-awaited surgery to address a recurring adductor muscle problem. Despite not returning to India after the Games and heading straight to Switzerland, Chopra was asked about his remaining competitions for the season.
“I might compete in one or two more events before ending the season, possibly including Brussels (Diamond League finale),” he said. With seven points from his second-place finish on Thursday, Chopra is tied for third in the Diamond League standings with Weber, both holding 15 points. Peters has moved to the top with 21 points. Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch, who finished seventh on Thursday with an 82.03m throw, is in second place with 16 points. The javelin throw season’s Diamond League finals are scheduled to take place in Brussels, Belgium, on September 14.
