Neeraj Chopra finishes 2nd in Diamond League final in Eugene, loses Diamond Trophy to Jakub Vadlejch

India’s Neeraj Chopra fell short of defending his Diamond Trophy at the Eugene Diamond League 2023 final on Saturday, September 16. The Olympic and world champion finished second in the 6-man final with a best effort of 83.80m.

Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch won the Diamond Trophy in Eugene, winning the final with a best effort of 84.24m. Finland Oliver Helander finished 3rd with a best throw of 83.74m as he kept the pressure on the top 2 in the event.

It was difficult conditions as witnessed in the women’s javelin final in Eugene earlier in the day. Vadlejch, Neeraj and the rest of the field were way off their season best marks. In fact, Neeraj’s best throws throughout the season were nothing less than 85m before the Diamond League final in Eugene.

Neeraj Chopra missed out on an opportunity to become only the 3rd man to defend the Diamond Trophy in javelin. It was the third Diamond Trophy win for Jakub Vadlejch as the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist was rewarded for his consistent performances. Notably, at the Zurich Diamond League last month, Vadlejch had beaten Chopra to win the event.

Neeraj Chopra had won the Diamond League final last year in Zurich with a best effort of 88.44m.

Neeraj’s series in Eugene Diamond League final: Foul, 83.80m, 81.37m, Foul, 80.74m, 80.90m.

Neeraj’s first throw was a foul one and Jakub Vadlejch had taken an early lead with an 84.01m throw. Neeraj came back in the second one with a throw of 83.80m to move to second spot.

The Indian ace’s third throw was 81.37m but his fourth one ended up being a foul one. Neeraj could only muster up 80.74m in his fifth try as Vadlejch would maintain his lead over the Indian going into the final set of throws.

Neeraj finished with an effort of 80.90m in his sixth attempt while Vadlejch improved on his best throw in the final attempt to make it 84.24m.

ASIAN GAMES NEXT

Neeraj Chopra has had a remarkable season in 2023 as he won his biggest prize of the year, clinching Gold at the World Athletics Championships final. He became the first Indian to win the World Championships Gold in track and field. Neeraj won the World Championships Gold with a best effort of 88.17m in the final

Neeraj Chopra will next head to China to defend his Asian Games crown in what has been a busy end to the season for the Olympic champion. He will face stiff competition from Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who finished with a silver in the World Championships in August.

He also participated in the Diamond League in 2023, where he showcased his exceptional talent and determination. He competed in three Diamond League events that year, winning in Doha and Lausanne, and finishing second in Zurich. His best effort at the Zurich Diamond League was 85.71m, which he achieved on his final throw.