Neeraj Chopra Finishes Second at Janusz Kusocinski Memorial Meet

In a surprising turn of events, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet, unable to reach the 85m mark. His best throw was 84.14m, while Germany's Julian Weber took first place with 86.12m. This meet marked a rare occasion for Chopra, who has consistently performed well since his Olympic gold in 2021. The competition was affected by weather conditions, and Chopra's struggles were evident as he consulted with his coach during the event. Following this meet, Chopra is set to compete in upcoming international events, including the Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 24, 2025, 13:01 IST

Neeraj Chopra's Performance at the Memorial Meet

Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra faced a challenging outing at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet, securing a second-place finish without reaching the 85m mark, which is unusual for him. His best throw was 84.14m, achieved during his final attempt.

Chopra was in third place until the last round of throws. Germany's Julian Weber, who previously defeated Chopra at the Doha Diamond League, clinched victory again with a throw of 86.12m in the second round. Weber is a European champion from 2022 and a silver medalist from 2024.

Anderson Peters from Grenada, a two-time world champion, finished third with a throw of 83.24m, mirroring his performance in Doha.

The top three competitors from Doha repeated their finishes, although all struggled to hit their best throws due to overcast conditions following rain at the Silesian Stadium.

Chopra had recently surpassed the 90m mark with a throw of 90.23m in Doha, but Weber's last attempt of 91.06m secured him the top position. Peters had a best throw of 85.64m in that event.

Throughout the competition, only Weber managed throws exceeding 85m, with his second round throw of 86.12m followed by 85.03m and 85.11m in subsequent attempts.

As the reigning world champion, Chopra likely felt disappointed, as he had only recorded throws below 85m five times since winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

His previous throws included 82.27m at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar last May and 84.52m in South Africa in April.

Chopra began the event with a foul and followed with a throw of 81.28m. He struggled to achieve a significant distance and was seen consulting with his coach, Jan Zelezny, a legendary javelin thrower, who provided guidance from the stands.

Chopra's third and fourth attempts were fouls, but he managed 81.40m in the fifth round, keeping him in third place until his final throw of 84.14m elevated him to second. He completed the event with only three valid throws out of six.

Originally, Chopra was scheduled to participate in the inaugural NC Classic on May 24 in Bengaluru, featuring several Indian and international stars, including Weber and Peters. However, the event was postponed due to military tensions between India and Pakistan.

This meet in Poland marked Chopra's third competition of the season. He began with the Potch Invitational Track event in South Africa on April 16, where he topped the field with a throw of 84.52m.

The Janusz Kusocinski Memorial is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour silver events and is recognized as the oldest continuously held track and field meeting in Poland, dating back to 1954. It has consistently attracted top athletes from around the globe.

Following this event, Chopra is set to compete at the Golden Spike 2025 athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 24, with the next Diamond League featuring men's javelin scheduled for June 20 in Paris.