Neeraj Chopra, who won gold in the Tokyo Olympics, will be looking to reclaim the Diamond League javelin championship as he prepares for the 2025 final, which will be held in Zurich on Thursday (August 28). Defending champion Anderson Peters, German thrower Julian Weber, Keshorn Walcott, Andrian Mardare, Julius Yego, and Swiss thrower Simon Wieland, who is the host country’s entrant, will all pose a serious threat to Neeraj.
The Indian athlete who won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris had his most recent appearance on July 5 at the NC Classic in Bengaluru, which he won with 86.18 meters. He has participated in six competitions so far this season, taking home four victories and placing second twice.
Neeraj Chopra, a two-time Olympic medallist, qualified for the Final after competing in Doha and Paris despite missing the Silesia and Brussels legs of the coveted Diamond League. After competing in two of the four javelin legs planned in the 14-meet series, the 2022 DL champion, who placed second in both 2023 and 2024, comes into this year’s title match in fourth place.
In May, the 27-year-old world champion broke through the enchanted 90-meter mark for the first time with a career-best throw of 90.23 meters in Doha, but he had to settle for second place behind Germany’s Julian Weber. A month later, he recovered and won with 88.16 meters in Paris.
In addition, Chopra will defend his global championship during the September 13–21 global Championships in Tokyo. Athletics’ premier one-day circuit, the Diamond League, ends with a winner-take-all Final in which the winners of 32 events are awarded the renowned Diamond Trophy and a spot in the World Championships.
The victor of Thursday’s men’s javelin final will receive $30,000, the runner-up will receive $12,000, and the third-place finisher will receive $7,000. This year, champions of eight specific events will also get increased prize money.
