Neeraj Chopra, the Indian javelin throw star, faced a frustrating outcome at the Diamond League, securing a silver medal after competing fiercely against top athletes. Following his silver win at the Paris Olympics, which came after he achieved his season-best throw, Neeraj’s triumph was overshadowed by his fierce rival, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who had a remarkable throw of 92.97 meters. This left Neeraj feeling disheartened, as he had aimed for gold but had to settle for a podium finish. After this event, he headed directly to Germany to participate in the Diamond League, where a new contender, Anderson Peters from Grenada, managed to outshine him with a throw of 90.61 meters. With Neeraj only achieving 89.49 meters, he had to accept second place, much to the disappointment of his fans. However, an interesting twist to this story is that Neeraj might not have secured this position at all if he hadn’t heeded the advice of Olympic medalist Julius Yego.
The Journey to Achieving His Best Throw
Neeraj’s start at the Lausanne Diamond League was not as stellar as he hoped. In his first attempt, he managed a throw of just 82.10 meters, which fell short of expectations. His performances improved incrementally, leading up to a best throw of 83.21 meters by the fourth attempt. At this stage, Anderson Peters led with a throw of 88.49 meters, followed closely by Germany’s Julian Weber at 87.08 meters and Ukraine’s Artur Felfner at 83.38 meters. Neeraj found himself outside the top three until his fifth attempt, where he pushed through to achieve a throw of 85.58 meters, bringing him into contention for the podium.
Advice from Julius Yego
After noticing Neeraj’s initial struggles, Kenyan javelin thrower Julius Yego, who won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, offered valuable advice. He urged Neeraj to stay calm and relax, emphasizing that remaining composed was key to a successful throw. Taking this advice to heart, Neeraj approached his final attempt with a clearer mind and focused less on the pressure. In doing so, he managed to throw the javelin 89.49 meters, securing his silver medal and showcasing an impressive improvement over his previous Olympic performance.
Understanding the Diamond League Format
The Diamond League operates differently from traditional Olympic competitions. Instead of awarding medals, the league consists of five stages, starting with four qualifying rounds held in Doha, Paris, Lausanne, and Zurich. Athletes accumulate points throughout these qualifiers, and the top six throwers after these rounds compete in the finals for the prestigious trophy. As of now, three stages have concluded, with one final stage in Zurich yet to take place.
Point System in Diamond League
In the Diamond League, points are awarded based on performance. The athlete finishing in first place receives 8 points, second place earns 7 points, and it continues to decrease for lower placements. After missing the opportunity to compete in Paris due to his Olympic commitments, Neeraj made up for it by earning 7 points in Lausanne, bringing his total to 14 points and placing him third overall in the League. Anderson Peters leads with 21 points, followed by Jakub Vadlejch with 16 points, while reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem has managed to collect 10 points, placing him in eighth position.
