Neeraj Chopra at Diamond League Final Highlights: Neeraj Chopra clinches second place; Julian Weber smashes 90m-mark twice

Neeraj Chopra at Diamond League Final Live Updates: Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable run of podium finishes continued but he had to settle for second place again as Julian Weber of Germany claimed his first Diamond League Finals crown with a stunning display in Zurich. Chopra, the 2022 winner, managed a best of 85.01m in his sixth and final attempt, edging out Trinidad’s Keshorn Walcott (84.95m) for second place.

Weber, however, was on another level. The 29-year-old German launched a season-best 91.57m throw — his personal best and the third 90m-plus mark of his career — after opening with 91.37m. His commanding performance left the rest of the seven-man field chasing shadows, as he finished more than six metres ahead of Chopra.

Chopra, who has built a reputation for consistency with his 88m-plus throws, had an off day with only three legal attempts. He opened with 84.35m, slipped with fouls in the middle rounds, and rescued his campaign with his final 85.01m effort. “Not too bad, but I still need to throw further before Tokyo. I’m happy for Julian — he was excellent today,” Chopra said.

The German extended his head-to-head edge to 3-1 over Chopra this season, though the Indian still leads 15-5 overall. Chopra has not finished outside the top two since June 2021 and heads to Tokyo next month as defending world champion, eyeing gold over distance.