Neeraj Chopra, the Indian javelin thrower who recently secured a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has continued his stellar form by finishing second at the Diamond League javelin throw meet. This competition, which took place just weeks after his Olympic success, saw Chopra achieving a season-best throw of 89.49 meters.
This distance, although marginally better than his Olympic best of 89.45 meters, was not enough to secure the top spot, as Grenada’s Anderson Peters outperformed him with a throw of 90.61 meters.
Chopra’s performance at the Diamond League meet is particularly impressive considering the quick turnaround from the Paris Olympics. Speaking after the competition, Chopra reflected on his experience of getting back into competitive action so soon after the Summer Games. He explained that the brief recovery period allowed him to focus on light training and treatment with his physio, which helped him maintain his form and fitness.
“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 did some very easy throwing sessions after Paris. And it was a strange competition today. In the beginning, I did not feel that I could throw that far but in the end, it was really good,” Chopra said.
Despite his strong finish, the competition was not without its challenges for Chopra. At one point, he found himself in fourth place, a position that could have shaken his confidence. However, Chopra’s resilience and experience came to the fore, as he managed to deliver his best throw in his final attempt.
His ability to stay calm and focused was aided by some timely advice from his competitor, Kenya’s Julius Yego. Yego, who is known for his own javelin prowess, advised Chopra to relax and trust in his abilities. “Peters threw 90m, my body didn’t feel good but the fighting spirit was nice today. I really liked my comeback.
In the last throw I didn’t think too much, just gave my best,” Chopra remarked after the competition. He credited Yego for helping him stay composed, saying, “In the first throw, I thought I will do this, I will do that but in the last throw, I did not. Julius Yego said, ‘relax, you will throw far’. I tried to relax.”
Yego himself finished sixth in the competition with a throw of 83 meters, a respectable distance but not enough to challenge the top competitors. His advice to Chopra, however, played a small but significant role in helping the Indian athlete secure his second-place finish.
As for Chopra’s future plans, he hinted at the possibility of competing in one or two more events before wrapping up his season. One of these could potentially be the Diamond League finals in Brussels on September 14, a prestigious event that would give Chopra another opportunity to showcase his skills on the international stage.
However, Chopra is also considering undergoing surgery to address a recurring adductor muscle issue that has been troubling him. This decision could impact his participation in the remaining competitions of the season.
With his second-place finish at the Diamond League meet, Chopra now stands joint third in the Diamond League standings with 15 points, sharing this position with Germany’s Julian Weber. Anderson Peters, who took first place in the recent meet, has jumped to the top of the standings with 21 points. Meanwhile, Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who finished seventh in the competition with a throw of 82.03 meters, holds the second spot with 16 points.