Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second in the Diamond League grand finale with a modest throw of 83.80m, failing to defend his title.
25-year-old Neeraj Chopra won his first World Championships gold last month and he faced many problems to perform at his best in the Diamond League Finals on Saturday Night. Neeraj Chopra fouled his first two attempts and threw 83.80m in the second, followed by fouls and throws of 81.37m, 80.74m, and 80.90m.
Chopra's first below-85m throw of the season. He qualified for the DL Finals third and won the 2022 DL Finals with a throw of 88.44m. No competitor could touch 85m under 25°C and 45% humidity, despite wide wind speed variations in other field events.
Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the Diamond League title for the third time with a best throw of 84.24m in his final attempt. He led the six-man field from the start with an 84.01m throw in the first round. Vadlejch also won bronze at the World Championships in Budapest and silver at the Tokyo Olympics behind Neeraj Chopra. He previously won the Diamond League title in 2017 and 2018.
Oliver Helander of Finland finished third with a best throw of 83.74m. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters finished last with a throw of 74.71m, continuing his wretched season. Jakub Vadlejch won the DL Trophy and $32,000, while Neeraj Chopra pocketed $12,000 for finishing second. I won gold at the World Championships in Budapest, and it will also change something in Indian athletics.
Chopra finished second in the 2022 World Championships at Hayward Field, where the Diamond League Finals were held this year. He won two individual DL meetings in Doha and Lausanne and then clinched a historic gold medal at the World Championships with a throw of 88.17m. Neeraj Chopra is only the third javelin thrower in history who holds both the Olympic and World Championships titles.
Just days after winning gold at the World Championships, Chopra competed in the Zurich DL leg on August 31, finishing second to Vadlejch, who had beaten Chopra in their last two meetings. Chopra will now defend his 2018 Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou later this month.
"In big competition, it's all about the mindset. When we enter the stadium, our minds and bodies will be ready."