Neeraj Chopra secured a second-place finish in the men’s javelin competition at the Diamond League Final on Saturday, September 14. He was narrowly edged out by Paris Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Neeraj’s best throw was 87.86 meters, just one centimeter behind Peters, who claimed the prestigious Diamond Trophy, signaling his return to form in the 2024 season.
Germany’s Julian Weber took third place with a throw of 85.97 meters. Notably absent from the competition were Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem and Jakub Vadlejch, last year’s Diamond Trophy winner.
Neeraj finished as runner-up for the second consecutive year
It was a cold evening in Brussels, with temperatures between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius, where Neeraj finished as the runner-up for the second consecutive year. In 2023, Neeraj had also come up short in defending his Diamond Trophy, losing to Czech athlete Jakub Vadlejch. On that occasion, Neeraj had managed a throw of 83.80 meters, while Vadlejch won with a throw of 84.24 meters. Though Neeraj performed better this time around, he missed the title by the slimmest of margins to Grenada’s Peters.
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Neeraj Chopra’s Performance in Brussels
Neeraj opened the event strong with an initial throw of 86.82 meters, trailing only Anderson Peters, whose first throw measured 87.87 meters. Neeraj couldn’t surpass that distance with his second throw, which landed at 83.49 meters, but rebounded in his third attempt, reaching 87.86 meters.
Despite Peters not improving his first attempt in the third round, Neeraj remained close behind, trailing by just 0.1 meters. The two athletes were clearly ahead of the rest, with Germany’s Julian Weber coming closest with a throw of 85.97 meters on his first attempt. However, Weber gradually fell off the pace, with his subsequent throws measuring 82.61 meters, 82.15 meters, and 81.46 meters.
Neeraj Chopra was just 1cm short of Peters
Fans hoped Neeraj might overtake Peters, but his fourth throw fell short at 82.04 meters. At times, he seemed visibly concerned as he returned from his mark. His last two attempts reached 83.30 meters and 86.46 meters, but he was unable to surpass Peters.
Neeraj appeared cautious during the competition, likely due to the groin issue that has troubled him throughout the season. He has indicated that he will consult with doctors to determine if surgery is necessary once the season ends. Meanwhile, Peters nearly matched his best throw with his final attempt, which also landed at 87.86 meters, equaling Neeraj’s best effort.
This competition marked the end of the season for Neeraj Chopra, who had previously secured a silver medal at the Paris Olympics with a throw of 89.45 meters. However, he was unable to approach his season-best performance during Saturday’s event.
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