Neeraj Chopra Finishes Fourth at Doha Diamond League with Season's Best Throw

Neeraj Chopra's Performance at Doha Diamond League

Doha, June 20: Neeraj Chopra, India's two-time Olympic medallist, secured fourth place in the javelin throw at the Doha Diamond League, achieving a season-best throw of 85.69 metres in Qatar. This performance met the qualifying criteria for the upcoming Commonwealth Games scheduled from July 23 to August 2.

This event marked Chopra's first appearance in the Diamond League this season as he makes his comeback from an injury. The renowned athlete had been cautious about his return, waiting for confirmation from the Diamond League officials until the last moment while assessing his recovery. After a final training session reassured him and his team of his readiness, the organizers permitted his participation in Doha.

Chopra finished behind Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who threw 88.96 m, former Olympic champion Anderson Peters from Grenada with 86.38 m, and Curtis Thompson from the United States, who took third place with a throw of 85.99 m. Both Peters and Thompson also achieved their season's best throws. Pathirage, however, did not come close to his personal best of 92.62 m set in Rome two weeks prior. Another Indian competitor, Sachin Yadav, did not qualify for the finals.

Fans in India were excited to see Neeraj Chopra return for his first Diamond League event of the year, but they were left disappointed as the star, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and silver in Paris in 2024, could not replicate his usual brilliance and finished in fourth place.

The 29-year-old Chopra, a former Diamond League champion, began the final with a foul throw and managed only 82.77 m in his second attempt. His best throw of the day came next at 85.69 m.

Despite having previously won five Diamond League events, Chopra could not improve on his performance, recording only 83.45 m in his fourth attempt and fouling his fifth. His personal best remains 90.23 metres.

Typically, Chopra's first throw is his strongest, but this time he overstepped and was unable to match his best. Nonetheless, this outing is beneficial for him as it provides an opportunity to evaluate his recovery ahead of two significant upcoming events: the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Japan.

As part of his rehabilitation, Chopra trained at the Swiss Olympic Training Centre in Magglingen, a place he praised for its conducive environment for physical and technical development prior to his return.

“I was in Magglingen, a Swiss Olympic Training Centre, there. I really like that place; it's in the mountains, and very quiet, so you can focus on your things and techniques,” he stated.