Neeraj Chopra finished second at the Lausanne Diamond League, producing a season-best throw of 88.05 metres. The Indian javelin thrower once again fell short of Rumesh Pathirage of Sri Lanka.
The Olympic champion was edged out by just nine centimetres by Pathirage, who claimed victory with a best of 88.14m. Grenada’s Anderson Peters took third place with 86.69m.
Chopra opened with 83.54m before unleashing his best effort of the night in the second round to lead the competition briefly. Pathirage responded in the third round to regain the top spot, and neither athlete improved thereafter.
Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Lausanne Diamond League with season-best throw
The 88.05m mark represents Chopra’s strongest performance of the 2026 season and his first throw beyond 88 metres since June 2025. It marks a clear step forward after more modest results earlier in the year, including a fourth-place finish in Doha and a Commonwealth Games silver.
The result is seen as an encouraging sign as Chopra continues his build-up towards the remainder of the season. He was in the top spot in Lausanne following the second attempt; however, Pathirage reclaimed the pole position with his third throw.
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