New Delhi, Aug 25: Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will face stiff competition from Anderson Peters and Julian Weber as he looks to regain the Diamond League (DL) Final title in Zurich, Switzerland, on August 28.
A two-time Olympic medallist, Chopra, who skipped two legs of the prestigious series in Silesia and Brussels, had won the DL trophy in 2022 before finishing runner-up in 2023 and 2024. He had competed in Doha and Paris. Out of the 14 DL meetings, four have men’s javelin throw on their roster.
Chopra qualified for this year’s DL Final in fourth place after competing in two of the four qualifying legs.
The 27-year-old reigning world champion breached the coveted 90m mark at the Doha leg in May with a throw of 90.23m but had to settle for second place behind Germany’s Weber. He then clinched the Paris leg in June with an effort of 88.16m.
Along with Chopra, five other throwers – Andrian Mardare, defending champion Peters, Keshorn Walcott, Weber and Julius Yego – made the cut. Swiss thrower Simon Wieland was also added to the field as the host nation’s entry.
Chopra’s last competitive outing was at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where he recorded 86.18m to win the title at the event he hosted. Overall, he has competed in six events this season, winning four and finishing runner-up twice.
Chopra will also defend his world title at the World Championships in Tokyo scheduled to be held from September 13 to 21.
The Diamond League is an elite one-day meeting series in global athletics. The DL Final is a winner-takes-all competition, with champions crowned in each of the 32 events. Every winner receives the iconic Diamond Trophy and a wild card entry for the World Championships.
The men’s javelin final is scheduled for August 28. (PTI)
