Neeraj Chopra finishes second at Kusocinski Memorial with final-round effort in wet, cold conditions
Neeraj Chopra (Video grab)
NEW DELHI: India's Olympic and World Champion javelin thrower
Neeraj Chopra
delivered a gritty performance in tough weather conditions to secure second place at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet in Poland on Friday.
Battling cold and damp surroundings at the Silesian Stadium, Chopra saved his best for last — an 84.14m throw in his sixth and final attempt — to climb from third to second.
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It was a rare sub-85m outing for Chopra, who has consistently surpassed that benchmark in recent years. This was only the sixth time since his Tokyo Olympics gold in 2021 that Chopra failed to breach 85m in an event.
He began with a foul and managed just 81.28m in his second attempt. Despite consulting coach Jan Zelezny mid-competition, Chopra continued to struggle, recording two more fouls and a fifth-round 81.40m before his final effort saved the day.
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Germany's Julian Weber, Chopra's familiar rival and winner in the recent Doha Diamond League, again outperformed the Indian with an 86.12m throw in the second round — the best of the night.
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Weber went on to produce two more 85m-plus throws (85.03m and 85.11m), emerging as the standout performer.
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Grenada's Anderson Peters, a two-time world champion, took third with 83.24m, replicating the top-three order from Doha.
All three podium finishers were below their season's bests, with slippery run-ups and overcast skies affecting rhythm and grip. The meet saw only four throws above 85m — all by Weber.
Melbourne: Australian Open, MCG, Australian GP and lots more
Chopra, who had breached the 90m mark for the first time last month, will now focus on upcoming competitions in Paris (Diamond League, June 20) and Ostrava (Golden Spike, June 24).
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