In a dramatic showdown at the Diamond League Final 2024 in Brussels, India’s javelin throws sensation Neeraj Chopra narrowly missed out on reclaiming the Diamond League trophy, losing to Grenada’s Anderson Peters by a mere one centimetre. This event, held at the King Baudouin Stadium, saw intense competition among the world’s best javelin throwers, culminating in a nail-biting finish.
Tough luck for Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra, the 2022 Diamond League champion, entered the final with high hopes. His season had been marked by consistent performances, including a season-best throw of 89.49 meters at the Lausanne Diamond League. However, the final in Brussels proved to be a challenging contest.
Chopra’s first throw of the evening was an impressive 86.82 meters, placing him in second position behind Peters, who set the benchmark with a throw of 87.87 meters in his opening attempt. Julian Weber of Germany also made a strong start with his best throw of 85.97 meters, securing third place.
The Decisive Moment
The defining moment of the competition came during Chopra’s third attempt. With a throw of 87.86 meters, he came agonizingly close to surpassing Peters but fell short by just one centimetre. Despite his best efforts in subsequent throws, Chopra could not improve his mark, recording distances of 82.04 meters, 83.30 meters, and 86.46 meters in his remaining attempts.
This was Neeraj Chopra’s fifth appearance in the Diamond League final. Over the years, he has shown remarkable progress, finishing seventh in 2017, fourth in 2018, and winning the Diamond League crown in 2022 with a throw of 88.44 meters. Last year, he finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch with an effort of 83.80 meters.
As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned through the year – about improvement, setbacks, mentality and more.
On Monday, I injured myself in practice and x-rays showed that I had fractured the fourth metacarpal in my left hand. It was another painful… pic.twitter.com/H8nRkUkaNM
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) September 15, 2024
Chopra’s journey to the 2024 final was marked by consistent performances across the Diamond League series. He accumulated 14 points from two second-place finishes in the Doha and Lausanne legs, securing his spot in the final. His season-best throw of 89.49 meters in Lausanne was his second-best career throw, just shy of his personal best of 89.94 meters set at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022.
Anderson Peters, the bronze medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, clinched his first Diamond League title with his winning throw of 87.87 meters. Peters’ consistent performance throughout the season, including a meet record of 90.61 meters in Lausanne, established him as a formidable competitor. His victory in Brussels was a testament to his skill and determination.
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