Neeraj Chopra Optimistic Despite Second Place in Zurich

Zurich, August 29 (PTI) – Neeraj Chopra, India's acclaimed javelin thrower and two-time Olympic medallist, candidly acknowledged his difficulties with timing at the Diamond League Finals. Despite finishing second for the third consecutive time, Chopra remains optimistic about improving his performance at the World Championships next month in Tokyo, where he will defend his title.

German competitor Julian Weber clinched his maiden Diamond League trophy with an impressive double 90m-plus throws, surpassing Chopra. Chopra's opening throw of 84.35m positioned him third until the fifth round. However, a final throw of 85.01m secured him the second spot, moving ahead of Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 London Olympics gold medalist from Trinidad and Tobago, who came third with 84.95m.

"The timing was not so good today (Thursday), 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," Chopra commented post-event.

Earlier this year, Chopra achieved a significant milestone, crossing the 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League. Nonetheless, he consistently emphasizes the importance of refining his technique to achieve such distances more regularly.

"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 reflected. "In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian (Weber); he showed an excellent 91m performance. We will see in three weeks."

Chopra, who has faced a persistent right groin injury, remains optimistic about the World Championships in Tokyo. "I feel good and I just need to find some good timing," he asserted.

In the Diamond League Finals, Weber dominated with a season's world-leading throw of 91.57m, marking his personal best. He began with a 91.37m effort, turning the event into a one-man contest among the seven competitors. Chopra finished with three valid throws from six attempts, a rare occurrence given his usual consistency with 88m-plus throws.

Weber's victory improved his head-to-head record against Chopra to 3-1 for the season. The German had previously edged out Chopra in the Doha Diamond League and in Chorzow, Poland. Chopra countered with a victory in the Paris DL, where Weber came second.

Overall, Chopra leads the head-to-head tally with Weber, boasting a 15-5 margin since 2016. Since June 2021, Chopra has maintained a consistently high standard, never finishing outside second place. He qualified for the Finals in fourth place with 15 points, despite skipping the Silesia and Brussels Diamond League legs in August.

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