Neeraj Chopra to Compete in Lausanne Diamond League After Commonwealth Success
Neeraj Chopra's Upcoming Challenge
File image of Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra(Photo: @CricUniverse7/X)
New Delhi, Aug 4: Following his impressive silver medal performance at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra is gearing up for the Lausanne Diamond League, also referred to as Athletissima, scheduled for August 21.
Chopra will face a formidable lineup, reminiscent of the Commonwealth Games 2026, featuring top European athletes. The competition will include five javelin champions who have secured the last four Olympic and World Championship titles, ensuring a high-caliber event at Athletissima.
This elite field underscores the shift in javelin dominance towards the Indian subcontinent, with reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan, Chopra from India, and Sri Lanka's Pathirage, alongside Caribbean representatives like Trinidad and Tobago's Walcott and Grenada's Peters.
Fans in Lausanne can expect to see a variety of throwing techniques and styles. Peters' meeting record of 90.61m is likely to be challenged.
Also confirmed for the event is Switzerland's Simon Wieland, who has been making notable strides, along with the last two European champions: Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch from Czechia and Germany's Julian Weber. American Curtis Thompson, currently ranked second in the world, will also compete for the title.
Five of these athletes, including Neeraj, Arshad, Pathirage, Peters, and Walcott, were part of the CWG 2026 javelin final, where Pathirage clinched the title with an impressive throw of 89.75m despite challenging windy conditions.
Neeraj achieved a season-best throw of 85.83m, securing second place, while Arshad, the defending champion from Birmingham, struggled and finished ninth with a throw of 77.41m. Peters ended up fourth with a throw of 83.88m.
In the Diamond League standings, Neeraj, the 2022 champion, currently ranks seventh with five points, while both Pathirage and Peters have already qualified for the finals with 23 points each.