Neeraj Chopra Claims Second Spot at Zurich Diamond League, Extends Top-Two Streak to 26 Events

Zurich [Switzerland]: Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra continued his remarkable consistency in international competitions by finishing second at the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday, registering a best throw of 85.01 metres.

Germany’s Julian Weber stole the show with a commanding throw of 91.51 m on his second attempt, securing the top spot with two successive efforts beyond 91 metres. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 London Olympic champion, took third place with a best of 84.95 m.

Chopra, who had a shaky start with attempts in the low 80s followed by three consecutive fouls, risked breaking his four-year streak of podium finishes. However, the 26-year-old Indian star produced a clutch final throw of 85.01 m, securing second place and extending his unbeaten run of top-two finishes to 26 consecutive events.

Weber capped his victory with another strong final throw of 88.66 m, while Walcott slipped to third after his last attempt of 78.05 m. Other notable performances came from Anderson Peters (81.41 m) and Julius Yego (80.49 m), who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

For Chopra, Zurich has been a memorable venue. He created history in 2022 by becoming the first Indian ever to win the Diamond League final at this very stadium. He followed it up with runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, and now another second-place result in 2025.

The Indian ace has enjoyed a stellar season so far, beginning with victory at the Potch Invitational in South Africa in April, followed by his career-best 90.23 m throw at the Doha Diamond League in May—marking his first-ever effort beyond the 90-metre mark. He also claimed victories in the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike, alongside triumph at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru.

Chopra will next aim to defend his world title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from September 13 to 21. In the last edition, he became the first Indian to win gold at the event, finishing ahead of Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem.