Indian javelin sensation Neeraj Chopra, who made history by clinching the Diamond League Trophy last year, secured a commendable second place at the Diamond League 2023 Final, held late on Saturday night at Hayward Field. Although he couldn’t retain his title, his performance was notable.
Neeraj, the 25-year-old Indian athlete who holds the national record at 89.94 meters, began with a foul on his initial attempt. He managed to make his mark with an 83.80m throw on his second attempt, securing the second spot behind Vadlejch, who started with an 84.01m effort.
Despite an 81.37m throw on his third attempt and another foul in his fourth, Neeraj couldn’t overtake Vadlejch, who maintained his lead. The Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, Vadlejch, recorded his best throw of the night on his final attempt, securing victory over Neeraj Chopra for the second time this year. Vadlejch had also bested Neeraj at the Zurich Diamond League last month.
On the journey to the final, Neeraj emerged victorious in the Doha and Lausanne legs of the 2023 Diamond League series but had to settle for second place in Zurich. He accumulated 23 points from three meetings, securing his qualification for the Diamond League Final. However, Jakub Vadlejch, who participated in all four qualifying events, topped the leaderboard with 29 points.
Neeraj Chopra placed second in the Eugene Diamond League final on Saturday
1. Jakub Vadlejch🇨🇿 – 84.01m
2. Neeraj Chopra 🇮🇳 – 83.80m
3. Oliver Helander 🇫🇮 – 81.47m
5. Curtis Thompson 🇺🇸 – 77.01m
6. Anderson Peters 🇬🇩 – 74.71m#NeerajChopra pic.twitter.com/c3sUUqSDN2— BlueGreen Planet (@BluesWaltair) September 17, 2023