Weeks after their top-two finish at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Neeraj Chopra and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage once again finished in the top two, this time at the Lausanne Diamond League. Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured third place in the men’s javelin final.
Chopra and Peters both produced season-best throws of 88.05m and 86.69m respectively, but it was Pathirage who came out on top with 88.14m. The Sri Lankan, who is enjoying perhaps the most consistent stint of his career, came from behind to edge Chopra by just nine centimetres. He had also crossed the 90m mark in Glasgow to claim the top spot there.
Chopra began his evening with an 83.54m throw before producing his best effort of 88.05m on his second attempt, briefly taking the lead. Pathirage also made a strong start with 85.99m before improving to 87.06m with his second throw, still leaving him behind Chopra.
The best, however, was yet to come. Pathirage unleashed an 88.14m effort on his third attempt to move ahead of the Indian champion by the narrowest of margins. All four of his valid attempts were over 85m, underlining his remarkable consistency.
Speaking to the Diamond League media after the competition, Chopra said, “I didn´t realise it was only nine centimetres, it was really close, but I´m happy with the 88-metre throw. To be honest, it didn´t feel like it went 88 metres because I felt very relaxed. I tried really hard and later focused on my technique. With every competition, I feel that I´m coming back. The crowds in Lausanne and Zurich understand athletics and really support you, so it´s always good to compete here.”
Despite finishing second, Chopra can take plenty of confidence from an 88m-plus throw as he looks ahead to the upcoming Asian Games. Another showdown with Pathirage could be on the cards, with the Sri Lankan emerging as one of the new challengers to Chopra’s dominance.
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