After finishing runner-up in the Diamond League Final in Zurich, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra acknowledged that he needs to sharpen his throws ahead of next month’s World Championships in Tokyo, where he will defend his title.
Chopra managed a best effort of 85.01m on his final attempt to take second place, well below his season-best mark. It was also his third straight runner-up finish in the prestigious competition.
“The timing was not so good today, the run-up was not so good. There is something I didn’t find today, but I still have three weeks for the World Championships, and I will try my best,” Chopra said after the event.
“This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the World Championships, so I still need to throw a little bit farther. There were a few things that went well, but still, there were things which did not go that well.
“In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian, he managed to throw really far, and to show 91m was really good. We will see each other in three weeks. I still need to train a little bit. In this sport, we do not know. It depends on the day,” he added.
The day, however, belonged to Germany’s Julian Weber, who delivered a statement performance ahead of the Worlds. The 30-year-old produced two sensational throws — 91.37m and then an improved 91.51m to set a meeting record, new personal best and world-leading mark.
The dominant display established Weber as one of the strongest contenders in Tokyo.
Reflecting on his own performance, Chopra admitted it was a tough outing. “It’s going well and today was a hard day. There is always a harder day in sports, so today was a hard day for me, but I still managed in the last over 85 metres.”
The 26-year-old has been managing a lingering right groin issue but insisted that his preparation remains on track. “I feel good and I just need to find some good timing,” he said.
Chopra had booked his spot in the Diamond League Final with a first-place finish in Paris in June, thanks to a throw of 88.16m. Earlier in May, he had achieved his personal best and national record of 90.25m in Doha — his first effort beyond the 90m barrier — and was hoping to replicate that feat in Zurich.