Indian javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra narrowly missed out on the top spot at the Diamond League Final 2025 in Zurich, finishing second behind Germany’s Julian Weber, who produced a sensational performance with two massive 90m-plus throws.
Although Chopra admitted that his timing and run-up were not at their best, the Olympic and World champion sounded confident that he would bounce back stronger ahead of the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo next month, where he will be defending his crown.
Weber Dominates with Career-Best Throw
Thursday’s Diamond League Finale turned into a memorable night for Julian Weber, who delivered the performance of his career. The German thrower opened with a 91.37m throw before pushing his limit further with a personal best of 91.57m in his second attempt.
With those two back-to-back monster throws, Weber stamped his authority on the competition. None of his rivals managed to come close to his distance on the night, as the 91m mark proved to be unchallenged. His dominance meant that the seven-man field, including Chopra, had to settle for chasing the runner-up spots.
Chopra’s Fight for Second Place
Neeraj Chopra, who had been aiming to reclaim the Diamond League trophy he last won in 2022, began his campaign with an opening throw of 84.35m. However, he struggled with rhythm and fouled on a few of his next attempts. For most of the competition, he was placed third behind Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion.
It wasn’t until his final throw, where Chopra dug deep and managed 85.01m, that he climbed to the second spot. This last-ditch effort pushed Walcott down to third, as the veteran had a best throw of 84.95m, just six centimeters short of Chopra’s mark.
Reflecting on his performance, the Indian ace admitted:
“The timing was not so good today, and the run-up also wasn’t perfect. Something was missing, but I still have three weeks before the World Championships. I’ll keep working hard to deliver my best there,” Chopra said after the event.
Struggles with Consistency
For Chopra, Thursday’s final was unusual. Known for his ability to consistently throw in the 88m-plus range, he was restricted to the 85m mark, which was enough for second but not reflective of his usual standards. Out of his six attempts, he managed only three legal throws.
Chopra had earlier broken the 90m barrier for the first time this season at the Doha Diamond League, but he has repeatedly acknowledged that he needs to refine his technique to consistently achieve such distances.
“This was not too bad, but I still need to throw farther. A few things went well, but some didn’t. Still, I’m happy with my last throw, and of course, very happy for Julian. Throwing 91m is a big achievement, and I’ll look forward to competing against him again in Tokyo,” Chopra explained.
Injury Concerns and Preparation
The 27-year-old Indian star has been managing a long-term right groin injury, but he reassured fans that he feels good physically and is only looking to fine-tune his execution.
“I feel fit. What I really need to work on is the timing. In javelin, it all depends on the day, and how perfectly you can sync your run-up with the throw. I’ll continue training hard for Tokyo,” he added.
Despite finishing second, Chopra has not placed outside the top two in any competition since June 2021, a remarkable run that underlines his consistency at the elite level.
Rivalry with Julian Weber
The Zurich Final was another chapter in the growing rivalry between Chopra and Weber. With this victory, Weber extended his head-to-head record to 3-1 against Chopra in 2025. Earlier this year, Weber had beaten Chopra in the Doha Diamond League and at the ORLEN Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland. Chopra, however, had come out on top at the Paris Diamond League in June, where Weber finished second.
Overall, since 2016, Chopra still leads Weber comfortably in their head-to-head record, 15-5, showing that the Indian remains one of the most dominant javelin throwers of his era.
Road to the World Championships
With the Diamond League season now over, Chopra’s complete focus shifts to the World Championships in Tokyo next month. As the defending champion, he will be aiming not only to reclaim his supremacy but also to perfect his timing and rhythm, which he admitted were slightly off in Zurich.
“There are always tough days in sports, and today was one of them. But I’m happy I still managed over 85m, and I’ll take the positives from this performance. The World Championships are around the corner, and I’ll give my best there,” Chopra concluded.
Final Results – Diamond League Final 2025 (Men’s Javelin Throw)
- Julian Weber (Germany) – 91.57m (Winner)
- Neeraj Chopra (India) – 85.01m (Runner-up)
- Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad & Tobago) – 84.95m (Third place)