New Delhi: Ace Indian javelin throw athlete Neeraj Chopra finished in second position in Brussels with a best throw of 87.86m at the Diamond League Final, on Sunday.
Neeraj missed out on the top spot by just 1cm margin. Anderson Peters hurled the spear to a distance of 87.87m to claim the numero uno position. He won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, Julian Weber of Germany, with his best attempt of 85.97m, finished third. Fourth-placed Adrian Mardare registered a throw of 82.97m. Japanese thrower Genki Rodrick Dean finished fifth with a best throw that barely breached the 80m-mark (80.37m). Ukrainian Arthur Felfner came in sixth with a furthest throw of 79.86m on his penultimate attempt.
The Indian started the competition with a throw of 86.82m. He followed up with a throw of 83.49m. Neeraj hurled the spear to a distance of 87.86m in his third attempt.
He came close to Anderson’s mark and was just one cm away from him.
Neeraj couldn’t breach the 85m mark in his next two attempts. He finished the event with a throw of 86.46m. Neeraj’s best throw saw him finish at the second spot once again.
Neeraj has been struggling with his fitness this season and is expected to meet a doctor to rectify a groin injury that has affected him all season and came in the way of his quest to hit the 90m mark.
He had won the Lausanne leg in 2022 and 2023 and finished second behind Vadlejch in the winner-takes-all finale in Eugene, USA, last year.
–IANS