[WATCH] Neeraj Chopra secures silver medal in Diamond League Final 2024; falls short by 1 centimeter
Neeraj Chopra, India's ace javelin thrower, narrowly missed out on victory at the Diamond League Final in Brussels on Saturday, September 14. His best throw of 87.86 meters placed him second, just a centimeter short of the winning mark set by Anderson Peters. The Grenadian secured the top spot with a throw of 87.87 meters, leaving Neeraj a frustratingly close runner-up.
Neeraj began the competition with an impressive 86.82-meter throw, followed by a dip in performance with his second attempt reaching 83.49 meters. However, the Indian's third attempt saw him throw a remarkable 87.86 meters as he came agonizingly close to overtaking Peters. That single centimeter difference proved decisive in the final standings.
During his final attempts, a visibly upset Neeraj Chopra was seen limping after turning around post-throw, suggesting that the groin injury he's been battling all season might have resurfaced.
Neeraj Chopra settles for a second-place finish in Diamond League Final 2024
Neeraj Chopra's subsequent throws failed to cross the 85-meter mark, with his final effort reaching 86.46 meters, thus settling for a second-place finish.
Germany's Julian Weber claimed the third position with his best attempt of 85.97 meters. Meanwhile, Adrian Mardare of Moldova secured fourth with a throw of 82.97 meters. Japan’s Genki Rodrick Dean finished fifth, managing 80.37 meters, and Ukraine’s Arthur Felfner closed the standings with a best throw of 79.86 meters.
This season has been challenging for Neeraj, as his ongoing groin injury has hampered his efforts to perform at his peak consistently. He is expected to consult with medical professionals to address the issue.
The injury has been a constant hurdle in his pursuit of the elusive 90-meter mark, a milestone he came close to earlier this year with an 89.49-meter throw in Lausanne, where he also placed second.
Neeraj Chopra has had a successful run over the past few years, winning the Diamond League titles in 2022 and 2023. However, he finished second last year behind Jakub Vadlejch in the finals held in Eugene, USA.