Neeraj Chopra Aims For Top Finish In Star-Studded Paris Diamond League

Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 16:51 IST

Neeraj Chopra aims for a top finish in the Paris Diamond League, competing against rivals like Julian Weber and Anderson Peters. Chopra seeks to upstage Weber.

Neeraj Chopra will be competing with familiar rivals ahead of NC Classic. (AFP Photo)

Having crossed the 90m mark, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra aims for a top finish as he competes against familiar rivals in the prestigious Paris Diamond League on Friday, in a star-studded field.

Chopra, German ace Julian Weber and two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada are among eight competitors vying for top honours in the second Diamond League meeting of the season, featuring men’s javelin throw.

Five of the listed throwers have surpassed the 90m mark. In the Doha Diamond League on May 16, Weber outperformed Chopra, who had breached the elusive 90m barrier.

Weber recorded 91.06m with his last throw, while Chopra managed 90.23m. At the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet on May 23 in Poland, both Chopra and Weber performed below their best in chilly, overcast conditions.

Weber won with a throw of 86.12m, while Chopra settled for second with 84.14m. Peters also competed in Doha and Poland, finishing third in both events.

Returning to the French capital after eight years for a Diamond League competition, Chopra aims to upstage Weber after finishing second in consecutive competitions. Chopra last competed in the Paris Diamond League in 2017 as a junior world champion, finishing fifth with a throw of 84.67m.

Chopra skipped last year’s event to focus on the Olympic Games, where he bagged silver with a throw of 89.45m.

In the eight-man field at Charlety Stadium on Friday, five have crossed the 90m mark. Chopra and Weber were the latest to join this exclusive club, while Peters achieved it in 2022.

Kenya’s 2015 world champion Julius Yego and Trinidad and Tobago’s 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott reached the 90m mark in 2015, though their performances have since declined.

The Paris Diamond League organisers stated, “Few meetings can boast a field of five javelin throwers over 90m. Foremost among them is Tokyo Olympic champion and Paris silver medallist Neeraj Chopra of India, who is as powerful as he is consistent."

The other competitors in the eight-man field include Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio Da Silva, with a personal and season best of 86.34m, Moldova’s Andrian Mardare (PB: 86.66m), and France’s Remi Rougetet.

Chopra began the 2025 season with a title at an invitational meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, a minor category F event where he threw 84.52m.

Four days after the Paris Diamond League, Chopra will compete in the Golden Spike athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 24. Following that, the reigning world champion will participate in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic on July 5 in Bengaluru, a World Athletics category A event he is hosting.

Peters, Yego, and Da Silva will also compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic.

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Location :

Paris, France

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News sports Neeraj Chopra Aims For Top Finish In Star-Studded Paris Diamond League