Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Diamond League final; Anderson Peters lifts title
News Mania Desk/ Sohom Chatterjee / 16th September 2024
Neeraj Chopra, one of India’s topmost athletes, recently made the country proud by winning a silver medal in the Paris Olympics 2024 Javelin Throw event. He was defeated by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem who broke the Olympic record with an incredible 92.97m throw.
On Sunday, the Indian athlete featured in the final of the Diamond League at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, where he again finished second behind the winner Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who won his first Diamond League title after finishing third in the 2024 Olympics.
The Caribbean athlete beat Chopra by just 1 centimetre as Neeraj’s best throw of the day was 87.86m. Peters’ best throw came in the opening round of throws as he threw the spear at 87.87m. The Indian’s throws in six rounds were 86..82m, 83.49m, 87.86m, 82.04m, 83.30m and 86.46m. The 2023 European Games champion Julian Weber of Germany was third with a distance of 85.97 m.
Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian to win a Diamond League Trophy as he won the tournament in 2022. This was his fifth final appearance in the Diamond League after his first appearance came in 2017.
Taking it to his X handle, Neeraj Chopra posted, “As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned – about improvement, setbacks, mentality, and more. On Monday, I injured myself in practice, and X-rays revealed a fracture in the fourth metacarpal of my left hand. It was yet another painful challenge. However, with the support of my team, I was able to compete in Brussels.”
He concluded the post by saying, “This was the last competition of the year, and I wanted to finish my season on the track. While I didn’t meet my own expectations, I feel this was a season of great learning. I’m now determined to return stronger, fully fit, and ready for 2025. Thank you all for your support. 2024 has made me a better athlete and person. See you in 2025. Jai Hind.”
