Paris : Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra is set to lead India’s charge at the Paris leg of the Diamond League on Friday night, marking his return to this prestigious competition in the French capital after eight years. The javelin throw event, part of the second stage of the Diamond League, will commence at 1:12 AM IST, featuring a stacked field of eight world-class throwers.
Among Chopra’s main rivals will be Germany’s Julian Weber, who has defeated him twice this season, and two-time World Champion Anderson Peters of Grenada. Notably, Weber edged Chopra in the Doha Diamond League on May 16, with a final throw of 91.06 meters, surpassing Chopra’s impressive 90.23-meter effort. The German also bested him again on May 23 at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Poland with a throw of 86.12 meters, compared to Chopra’s 84.14 meters, while Peters placed third in both competitions.
Having skipped the Paris leg last year to focus on the Olympics—where he won a silver medal with an 89.45-meter throw—Chopra now returns to the French capital with revenge on his mind. The last time he competed in Paris was back in 2017, when he finished fifth as a junior world champion.
The field in Paris is one of the strongest yet. In addition to Chopra, Weber, and Peters—all of whom have crossed the 90-meter mark in their careers—the lineup includes Kenya’s Julius Yego (2015 World Champion), Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad & Tobago (2012 Olympic Champion), Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio da Silva, Moldova’s Adrian Mardare, and France’s Remi Rougerie.
After Paris, Chopra will head to the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 24, followed by the much-anticipated Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on July 5.
