Neeraj Chopra punishes himself despite finishing 2nd in Zurich Diamond League: ‘Run-up not good, need to throw further’
Posted on: Aug 29, 2025 07:26 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
bharat’s Olympic and domain defend Neeraj Chopra has not finished outside the top three in close to four years in any tournament that he has participated in. He kept his track record going in the Zurich Diamond League despite being far from his best. The double Olympic medalist was the first one to accept that. He acknowledged that he “still needs to throw a little bit further” after settling for second place at the Zurich Diamond League Finals on Thursday.
After a below-par star, the javelin star managed a final throw of 85.01m, enough to edge past Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott and secure the runner-up position for the third consecutive year.
Chopra opened with a throw of 84.35m and followed it up with 82m in the second round. He fouled his third, fourth, and fifth attempts before managing his best mark of the evening on his final throw. Known for his consistent 88m-plus performances, the 27-year-old struggled to find rhythm in a tightly contested event.
"This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the world championships, so I still need to throw a little bit further," Chopra said after the event. "There were a few things that went well, but still, there were things which did not go that well. The run-up was not so good. There is something I didn't find today."
Germany’s Julian Weber was in dominant form, producing two 90m-plus throws. He opened with a massive 91.37m and followed it with a personal best and season world lead of 91.57m on his second attempt. His performance left the rest of the seven-man field far behind, with no competitor coming within six metres of his best effort. Weber’s remaining throws included 83.66m, 86.45m, 88.66m, and a foul.
Chopra, who had won the Diamond League trophy in 2022, was unable to reclaim the title after finishing second in both 2023 and 2024. Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada finished fourth with a best of 82.06m.
"In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian today — he managed to throw really far, and to show 91m was really good. We will see in three weeks," Chopra said, referring to the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.
"I still need to train a little bit. In this sport, we do not know. It depends on the day," he added. "Everything will be different in Tokyo."
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