“90m mark is not so far away” – Netizens react as Neeraj Chopra registers season-best throw of 89.49m at Lausanne Diamond League 2024
India’s star athlete and Paris 2024 Olympics silver medalist Neeraj Chopra finished second in the ongoing Lausanne Diamond League 2024, registering a season’s best distance of 89.49 metres in his final attempt at the event.
However, despite his impressive performance, Neeraj had to settle for second place, as Paris 2024 bronze medalist Anderson Peters of Grenada took the first position with a massive throw of 90.61m. Notably, Neeraj’s effort was just 51 cm short of the 90m mark, which he has never been able to breach in his career so far.
Fans took to social media to take note of the matter, with somw claiming that Neeraj’s improved performances, and the planned surgery that will remove his niggling groin injury, means that the athlete will soon breach the 90m mark. One fan wrote:
“Feeling so bad for Neeraj Chopra 💔 90m will come for sure,” the fan posted on X.
“Not getting the 90m is one thing, but pulling himself back everytime like that?!! With an injury battling through a bad start & ensuring the top 3 & then almost 90, phew! I particularly did not think he had it today, but my God!!” another fan wrote. “If there is no hope, there is always Neeraj.”
“So Neeraj Chopra has thrown the second, third and fourth-best throws of his career in the last two weeks all while dealing with an adductor issue,” another post read. “If half-fit Neeraj, who needs surgery, is this good, then conversations about the 90m mark are going to end really soon.”
One fan wrote, “I've been watching sports for like decades and even after today's silver ig Neeraj is still chasing that 90M mark. You can see he was not here to win gold or silver but to break that 90M barrier. This mentality is INSANE!!”
A few fans put a humour twist to Neeraj’s 90m mark agony, with one writing:
“90m h ya upsc Neeraj bhai kitne attempts lagnge? [Is it 90m or UPSC Neeraj bhai, how many attempts will it take?]”
“Neeraj Chopra throw for 90 meters challenge (impossible),” another fan wrote.
Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Lausanne Diamond League 2024 behind Anderson Peter’s record-breaking 90.61m throw
Neeraj Chopra’s participation in the ongoing Lausanne Diamond League was always in doubt, as he was undergoing recuperation for a niggling injury problem in Germany. In the end, the 2022 and 2023 Diamond League winner confirmed his participation in the event, and expectations ran high among Indian fans.
However, Neeraj was clearly not fully fit on Friday, struggling in his first five throws and barely breaching the 85m mark. 26-year-old Neeraj, who was in the third position after his fifth throw, then went on to register his season’s best record of 89.49m in his final throw, which took him to the second position.
As luck would have it, though, Anderson Peters, who had registered a best throw of 88.49m till his fifth attempt, threw a monstrous 90.61m throw in his final attempt, taking home the first position. Peters’ throw also broke the Diamond League record, which previously stood at 90.16m by Keshorn Walcott in 2015.
As a result of Peters’ heroics, Neeraj Chopra failed to complete a ‘hattrick’ of Diamond League wins, but will now set his sights on the next tournament to get back on the winning ways.