Olympic and World Champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra once again showcased his consistency, finishing second with a best effort of 85.01m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on Thursday. With this, he extended his remarkable run of 26 successive top-two finishes at international events.
Germany’s Julian Weber stole the show with a stunning throw of 91.51m, produced on his second attempt, after opening with another 91-plus effort. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 London Olympics gold medallist, claimed third place with 84.95m.
Neeraj started the competition with a solid 84.35m but slipped to third as Weber and Walcott surged ahead. The Indian star then endured three consecutive fouls, putting his proud streak in jeopardy. However, in his final throw, Chopra produced a clutch 85.01m, edging past Walcott to secure second place.
Weber capped his dominant outing with a final-round throw of 88.66m, sealing victory.
Chopra, who made history by winning the Diamond League Final in Zurich in 2022, has since secured consecutive runner-up finishes in 2023, 2024, and now 2025.
This season has already been memorable for the Indian ace. He triumphed at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, claimed titles at the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike, and achieved a career milestone by breaching the 90m mark (90.23m) at the Doha Diamond League in May.
Neeraj now shifts focus to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September 13–21), where he will look to defend his world title after his historic gold in the previous edition.