Lausanne: Following his commendable performance, securing the second-place position at the Lausanne Diamond League, India's esteemed Olympic and World Championships gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra expressed a sense of satisfaction with his achievement, particularly noting his second-best throw of the season.
In the aftermath of his silver medal win at the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Neeraj achieved his season's best throw in the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland on Friday, reaching a distance of 89.49 meters.
In an interview post-event, Neeraj shared his sentiments, as reported by Olympics.com, stating, "The initial feeling was not particularly positive, but I am content with my performance, especially considering this was my second-best throw of the season."
"The beginning was challenging, but the resurgence was gratifying, and I relished the competitive spirit I displayed," he added.
"Although my initial throws were around 80-83 meters, I exerted considerable effort in my last two attempts, culminating in a strong finish. Competing at such a high level necessitates maintaining mental resilience and perseverance."
Anderson Peters of Grenada set a new meet record with an impressive throw of 90.61 meters, clinching the first position, while Julian Weber of Germany settled for the third spot with a throw of 87.08 meters, as reported by Olympics.com.
Neeraj, who has now achieved the distinction of being a two-time Olympic medallist, commenced the evening with a modest performance, failing to surpass the 85m mark on his initial four attempts. Despite this, he maintained a fourth-place position throughout the event, securing a third-place finish with an 85.58m throw on his penultimate attempt, thereby earning an additional throw.
In the final round against Peters and Weber, Neeraj secured the second-best throw of his career. The 89.94m throw, achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022, remains his personal best and is also recognized as the national record in India.
For the second consecutive month, following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Neeraj was narrowly defeated, despite delivering a second-best career throw. Just two weeks prior, at the Summer Games, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record with a 92.97m throw, once again denying Chopra victory with a throw of 90m.
Following his commendable performance at the Lausanne Diamond League, Neeraj is currently ranked third in the overall standings and is in a strong position to qualify for the Diamond League Final, scheduled to be held in Brussels in September. He became the first Indian athlete to secure the Diamond League title in 2022, before settling for silver in the previous year.
The Lausanne Diamond League meet marked the fifth competition of the season for Neeraj Chopra.
Neeraj has faced challenges with injuries, particularly to his adductor muscle, throughout the season. He acknowledged that these injuries affected his performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Earlier, he had also withdrawn from the Ostrava Golden Spike in May as a precautionary measure.
The Brussels Diamond League Final will be Neeraj's concluding event of the season, as per the Olympics.com.
