Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and world champion javelin thrower, has vowed to surpass his performance in the next Diamond League meeting after finishing a close second in the Doha leg. The 26-year-old Indian athlete trailed the veteran Czech Jakub Vadlejch, who won the title with his third throw of 88.38m.
Despite a valiant final effort of 88.36m, Chopra fell short by just two centimetres. This was Chopra’s first competition of the season, and although he couldn’t defend his title, his performance was commendable.
Chopra faced a challenging quarterfinal against top seed Adela Hanzlickova of the Czech Republic. Despite starting with a 0-3 deficit, Chopra managed to turn the tables and secure a 7-4 victory.
Neeraj Chopra assures of a strong comeback
Reflecting on his performance, Chopra said, “The most important competition for me this year is the Paris Olympics, but Diamond League meetings are important too. This was the opener for me this season, I finished second with a narrow two-centimetre margin but next time I will try to draw far and try to win.”
The next Diamond League meeting, which includes men’s javelin as a discipline, will be held in Paris on July 7.
Just 2 centimetres short… 🫣#DohaDL | #NeerajChoprapic.twitter.com/vk76pvtTPm
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) May 10, 2024
After the conclusion of his javelin event, Neeraj accommodated selfie requests from fans at the stadium. Neeraj patiently made everyone happy despite the security detail at the stadium hurrying him and asking him to move away to a different section of the stadium. Chopra respectfully asked them to wait as he moved around picking up phones and clicking selfies with the fans.
Chopra expressed his gratitude for the support he received from the Indian diaspora in Qatar. He said, “The support I am getting from the Indian people here in Qatar is always amazing; there aren’t words enough for me to thank them for their support.”
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