Neeraj Chopra finishes second as Pathirage clinches Lausanne Diamond League javelin title

Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra produced his best performance in more than a year but was edged into second place by rising Sri Lankan star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, losing out by just nine centimetres at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday, Aug 21.

Chopra's 88.05m throw in the second round, his best since the 88.16m that won him the Paris Diamond League in June 2025, was also his season's best. But 23-year-old Pathirage overtook him with a third-round effort of 88.14m to retain the top spot.

Grenada's Anderson Peters finished third with a sixth-round effort of 86.69m. Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago was fourth, with a best throw of 83.71m. World Championships bronze medallist Curtis Thompson of the US finished sixth with 78.13m, while Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic took seventh with 77.32m.

Chopra called it a close tussle for the top spot. "I didn't realise it was only nine centimetres, it was really close, but I'm happy with the 88-metre throw. To be honest, it didn't feel like it went 88m because I felt very relaxed. I tried really hard and later focused on my technique," he said. "With every competition, I feel that I'm coming back. The crowds in Lausanne and Zurich understand athletics and really support you, so it's always good to compete here."

The second-place finish lifted Chopra to fifth in the season-ending Diamond League Finals standings, up from seventh. The top six in each field event will contest the DL Finals in Brussels on September 4–5, with one additional athlete per discipline eligible via national or global wildcard. Pathirage and Peters have already qualified, with 23 and 22 points respectively. One more Diamond League javelin event remains before the final, in Zurich on August 27.

Chopra won the DL Finals title in 2022 and finished runner-up in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Friday's duel between the two South Asian rivals lived up to expectations. Chopra briefly took the lead with his second-round 88.05m before Pathirage responded in the third round with 88.14m to reclaim top spot. It marked the third successive occasion this year that Pathirage has beaten the two-time Olympic medallist, having earlier prevailed at the Doha Diamond League and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where Chopra finished fourth and second respectively.

Chopra opened with 83.54m before his big second-round throw of 88.05m — his best since a silver-medal-winning 85.83m at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. His third attempt measured 83.72m, followed by a foul in the fourth round. He then skipped his fifth attempt, closing with 82.15m in the sixth and final round — a decision that may reflect a wish to manage his effort with the Asian Games approaching next month.

Pathirage has been in career-best form this season, also winning the Doha and Rome Diamond League meetings and Commonwealth gold in Glasgow with a throw of 89.75m. He breached the 90m mark with a season-leading 92.62m in Rome in June, and has won eight of his nine competitions so far this year.

Chopra, meanwhile, remains on a comeback trail after a lower back injury that had troubled him since September last year delayed his season start until the Doha Diamond League. He was not fully fit in Glasgow but still won silver with what was then his season's best throw. "I can't say my fitness is there like before. But I'm getting there slowly," he had said at the Commonwealth Games.

One of the most consistent javelin throwers in the sport's history, the two-time Olympic medallist has finished outside the top two in just two competitions over the past five years.

The Lausanne meet, billed as one of the most high-profile of the season, lost some of its shine after reigning world champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and newly crowned European champion Julian Weber of Germany both withdrew.