Neeraj Chopra eyes redemption at Worlds after Diamond League Final setback

India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra admitted that his timing and rhythm were off during the Diamond League Finals, where he once again had to settle for second place. Despite the setback, the Olympic and world champion remains optimistic with three weeks to prepare for the World Championships in Tokyo.

The two-time Olympic medallist produced a best throw of 85.01m in his last attempt on Thursday, which pushed him ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott (84.95m). Germany’s Julian Weber stole the show, clinching his maiden Diamond League trophy with two 90m-plus efforts - including a world-leading personal best of 91.57m.

Chopra, who had won the DL title in 2022 but has since finished runner-up three years in a row, admitted he struggled with his execution.

Speaking to PTI after the event, he said, “The timing was not so good today, run-up was not so good. There is something I didn’t find today, but I still have three weeks for the World Championships, and I will try my best.”

Weber sizzles

Weber’s dominance was evident from the start, opening with a 91.37m throw before improving to 91.57m in his second attempt. None of his rivals came close, as his best effort was more than six metres beyond Chopra’s mark.

Chopra acknowledged that he still has work to do. “This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the World Championships, so I still need to throw a little bit farther. There were a few things that went well, but still, there were the things which did not go that well,” he told PTI.

The Indian ace has crossed the 90m barrier earlier this season in Doha but has spoken repeatedly about the need for consistency. On Thursday, he managed only three valid throws from his six attempts. “In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian, he managed to throw really far, and to show 91m was really good. We will see in three weeks,” Chopra said.

Despite carrying a right groin injury for a long time, Chopra insisted he is in good shape for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.

“I still need to train a little bit. In this sport, we do not know. It depends on the day,” he explained, before adding, “It’s going well and today was a hard day. There is always a harder day in sports, so today was a hard day for me, but I still managed in the last over 85 metres. I feel good and I just need to find some good timing.”

Weber’s triumph gave him a 3–1 edge over Chopra in their meetings this season, having also beaten him in Doha and Chorzow earlier in the year. Chopra, however, still holds a commanding 15–5 advantage in their overall head-to-head since 2016.

Known for his remarkable consistency, Chopra has not finished outside the top two in any event since June 2021. Though he skipped the Silesia and Brussels legs of the Diamond League earlier this month, he qualified for the Finals in Zurich with 15 points.