CHENNAI: Weeks after the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Neeraj Chopra is set to compete in another competition with a stellar cast of throwers. This time it will be at the Lausanne Diamond League to be held on August 21. The entries as of now promise a mouthwatering clash between almost all the top javelin throwers of the world.
Lausanne DL did not hesitate to announce the line-up. “The five javelin superstars who have claimed the last four Olympic and World Championship titles will all be at Athletissima on August 21 for a competition of exceptional quality. Arshad Nadeem (PAK), Neeraj Chopra (IND), Thomas Röhler (GER), Keshorn Walcott (TTO) and Anderson Peters (GRN) are set to light up Lausanne,” the website announced.
The first four won Olympic gold at Paris 2024, Tokyo 2021, Rio 2016 and London 2012 while Peters is a two-time world champion, having claimed the title in 2019 and 2022. And of course they will have to face the challenge on latest javelin throw sensation from Sri Lanka -- Rumesh Pathirage (SRI), the 2026 world number one with a throw of 92.62m.
Neeraj had been struggling with injuries and niggles since the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Though he has had a good start to the season in 2025 with his personal best throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League, he avoided competing in major competitions until the World Championships in Tokyo last year where he finished eighth. It was a position he has not finished since he started to dominate world javelin.
This year too he has had a late start to the season and his Commonwealth Games silver medal throw was his season’s best. His season opener at delayed Doha Diamond League too was not impressive where he finished fourth. A day before the event he had once again spoken about injuries.
"In our lives, we have this injury and we try to save that injury and then we have another one. I injured my ankle and somewhere in the shoulder then I sat together with my team, my physio to find a remedy. I started throwing one-and-a-half months ago," he had said.
Commonwealth Games seemed to be better for the former world and Olympic champion. He threw 85.83m, his best this season. Asian Games in September-October will be his next big challenge.
