Neeraj Chopra eyes Diamond League glory in Zurich amid tricky weather

New Delhi: As Neeraj Chopra sat alongside American discus throw great Valarie Allman for a joint media interaction in Zurich on Wednesday afternoon, the Olympic and world champion javelin thrower was asked by the moderator about one big challenge he expects in his fourth Diamond League Finals appearance. “Rain and heavy crosswinds,” was Neeraj’s answer.

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Neeraj is set to return to Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium on Thursday, hoping to lift the diamond trophy he won three years ago at the same venue. This achievement marked the first and only time the 27-year-old was crowned DL Finals champion. He finished as runner-up in the subsequent editions in 2023 (Eugene) and Brussels (2024). The winner will take home a handsome sum in prize money — $30,000 (Rs 25 lakh). Neeraj said the stakes are high with the prestigious World Athletics Championships in Tokyo approaching, where he is the defending champion. “The weather conditions don’t look good for tomorrow. There’s high chance of rain, coupled with strong windy conditions with the evening remaining mostly cloudy. You know, headwinds are brutal for javelin throwers. But the conditions would be the same for everyone. So, it will depend on how good you throw.

You have to make good use of speed and technique. Tailwinds are good for us, not headwinds. I am hoping for the best.

I must remain tough mentally,” Neeraj said. Neeraj will face stiff competition in a high-quality seven-man line-up featuring six of the world’s top-10 throwers. Reigning champion Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who edged out Neeraj by a single centimetre in Brussels last year, will be looking to defend his crown.

Germany’s Julian Weber, who spoiled Neeraj’s party in the Doha DL meet by throwing 91.06m to claim the first spot, will be hoping for another big throw. In Doha, Neeraj had for the first time in his career breached the 90m mark by heaving the spear to a distance of 90.23m. Neeraj returned the favour to Weber in the Paris DL, coming out on top with a best effort of 88.16m. It was the first time this season that Neeraj had defeated the German, who had beaten him at the Doha and Poland DL meets.

Others in the field include 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott, former world champion Julius Yego and Moldova’s Andrian Mardare. Local favourite Simon Wieland is part of the field as the host nation’s entry. “Weber will present a tough competition. He has been consistent in his throws. If we look at the last two years, he is doing really well. The field is quite strong and I am expecting a good, competitive outing,” Neeraj added. This season, Neeraj competed in two DL meets, finishing second in Doha and winning in Paris. Overall, Neeraj has participated in six competitions this season, claiming victories in four and finishing as runner-up twice. He skipped the Silesia and Brussels legs of the DL after securing qualification for the Finals earlier. Neeraj said that he was still working on his technique with legendary coach Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic.