Lausanne, 22 August (H.S.): Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra produced his best performance of the season at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday, throwing 88.05 metres to finish second, just nine centimetres behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who clinched the title with an 88.14m effort.

Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished third with a best throw of 86.69 metres.

Chopra, who entered the competition after winning a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, opened with a throw of 83.54m. He then produced a superb 88.05m effort in his second attempt to register his season’s best and briefly move into the lead.

The 88.05m effort was also Chopra’s first throw beyond the 88-metre mark since his 88.16m winning performance at the Paris Diamond League in June 2025.

However, Pathirage responded strongly in his third attempt, recording 88.14m to reclaim the lead and eventually secure the title. Neither athlete was able to improve on their best mark in the remaining rounds.

The difference between the two leading throws was just nine centimetres, but it was enough for Pathirage to secure another victory. The result marked his third consecutive win over Chopra this season, following victories at the Doha Diamond League and the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

With this result, Chopra’s head-to-head record against Pathirage this season stands at 0-3. Despite missing out on the title, his 88.05m throw represents a significant improvement and provides a positive boost ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar