Paris [France], June 21: India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra asserted his dominance once again on the international stage by winning the Paris Diamond League title on Friday night with a massive first-round throw of 88.16 metres.
Chopra wasted no time making a statement, delivering his best and only legal throw in the opening round. His 88.16m mark proved unassailable throughout the event, despite three no-marks in the middle rounds. Germany’s Julian Weber came closest with a best of 87.88m, securing second place, while Brazil’s Mauricio Luiz da Silva finished third with 86.62m.
The opening round saw Chopra in the lead, followed by Weber (87.88m) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott (80.94m). In round two, Weber threw 86.20m, Neeraj logged 85.10m, and Walcott slightly improved to 81.66m — but none could surpass Chopra’s first effort.
The third round saw Da Silva enter medal contention with his 86.62m throw. Despite Weber’s attempts to close the gap with throws of 83.13m in round four and 84.50m in round five, he failed to surpass Chopra’s mark. In the final round, Chopra returned to the field with a solid 82.89m, while Weber and Da Silva threw 81.08m and 78.56m, respectively.
While Chopra had inconsistent throws during the middle stages, his outstanding opening effort was enough to clinch the title, reaffirming his status as one of the world’s premier javelin athletes.
The two-time Olympic medallist will next be seen in action at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, scheduled for July 5. Originally planned for May 24, the event was postponed due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.