 "Neeraj Chopra during the Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium. Image: Screengrab/JioCinema")
Neeraj Chopra came agonisingly close to clinching the Diamond League title before missing it by just one centimetre to finish as runner-up for the second consecutive year with a throw of 87.86m in the season finale in Brussels.
The result capped off a challenging season for the javelin thrower from India who witnessed multiple second place finishes and his Olympic title being wrestled away from him.
In his last event of the year, the 26-year-old Chopra, who had won the Diamond League trophy in 2022 before finishing second last year, achieved his best throw of the day in his third attempt but it proved to be just 1cm short of eventual winner Anderson Peters’ 87.87m effort.
Grenada’s Peters, a two-time world champion, produced his best throw of the day in his opening attempt. Julian Weber of Germany finished third with 85.97m.
The Indian javelin throw superstar, who has a personal best of 89.94m, had a series of 86.82m, 83.49m, 87.86m, 82.04m, 83.30m and 86.46m.
Chopra will pocket $12,000 for his second-place finish in the grand finale which marked the end of the prestigious Diamond League series after 14 legs, as well as the end of international athletics season.
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More ShortsNeeraj Chopra in 2024
The Haryana athlete can take heart from the fact that he remained consistent throughout the season, though he won just one international event in the season, the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on 18 June.
He had qualified for the Diamond League final after finishing fourth in the overall standings with 14 points courtesy his two second-place finishes in Doha and Lausanne on 10 May and 22 August.
Chopra has struggled for fitness this season and is expected to meet a doctor to rectify a groin injury that has plagued him all season and came in the way of his quest to hit the 90m mark.
Neeraj Chopra results in 2024
Neeraj finished top of the standings in two competitions this year - the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland and the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar.
| Date | Event | Distance | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May | Doha Diamond League | 88.36m | 2nd place |
| 15 May | Federation Cup | 82.27m | 1st place |
| 18 June | Paavo Nurmi Games | 85.97m | 1st place |
| 6 August | Paris Olympics qualifying | 89.34m | 1st place |
| 8 August | Paris Olympics final | 89.45m | 2nd place |
| 22 August | Lausanne Diamond League | 89.49m | 2nd place |
| 14 September | Diamond League Final | 87.86m | 2nd place |