After CWG silver, Neeraj Chopra faces steep test ahead of Asian Games 2026
Neeraj Chopra will return to Diamond League action in Lausanne on August 21, where he will face one of the strongest men's javelin fields of the season. The competition comes at a crucial stage of his comeback and could be the ideal dress rehearsal before the Asian Games.
India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is set for arguably his toughest test since returning from injury when he competes at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21 against a star-studded men's javelin field led by Commonwealth Games champion Rumesh Pathirage.
The Lausanne meet will be Chopra's third competition since recovering from the lower-back injury that sidelined him in September last year and could prove crucial in his build-up to the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
Chopra heads into the event after claiming a confidence-boosting silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a season-best throw of 85.83m. It marked an improvement from the 85.69m he managed in his season opener at the Doha Diamond League in June, where he finished fourth.
"Although we always want the National anthem to play, I did my season's best and the comeback is going okay. There are other competitions as well. I am happy," Chopra had said after his silver-medal finish in Glasgow.
NEERAJ CHOPRA BACK IN DIAMOND LEAGUE
The Lausanne field, however, will present an entirely different challenge.
Leading the entries is Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, who arrives as the world leader after producing a stunning 89.75m throw to win Commonwealth Games gold. The 25-year-old has been the standout javelin thrower this season, recording a personal best of 92.62m at the Golden Gala in Rome in June to become the only athlete to breach the 90-metre mark this year.
Chopra will also renew his rivalry with Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Germany's former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler.
The elite field also features Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, Germany's Julian Weber, Switzerland's Simon Wieland and American Curtis Thompson, currently ranked world No. 2 this season.
In all, five medallists from the recently concluded Commonwealth Games will be in action in Lausanne, underlining the quality of the competition.
"The five javelin superstars, who have won the last four editions of the Olympic Games and World Championships, will be present at Athletissima on August 21 for a competition of extraordinary quality," the organisers said in a statement.
For Chopra, Lausanne has been a happy hunting ground in the past. The Indian won the Diamond League title there in 2022 with a throw of 89.08m before finishing runner-up in 2024 with a career fourth-best effort of 89.49m.
With the Asian Games now fast approaching, another strong performance against the world's best could provide the perfect boost for Chopra as he looks to return to peak form in time to defend India's continental crown.
LAUSANNE DIAMOND LEAGUE: LIVESTREAM
The Lausanne Diamond League will take place on August 21. The schedule of the tournament has not been announced yet. Usually the javelin competition starts at 11:30 pm IST. The competition will be live on JioCinema and Diamond League YouTube.
India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is set for arguably his toughest test since returning from injury when he competes at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21 against a star-studded men's javelin field led by Commonwealth Games champion Rumesh Pathirage.
The Lausanne meet will be Chopra's third competition since recovering from the lower-back injury that sidelined him in September last year and could prove crucial in his build-up to the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
Chopra heads into the event after claiming a confidence-boosting silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a season-best throw of 85.83m. It marked an improvement from the 85.69m he managed in his season opener at the Doha Diamond League in June, where he finished fourth.
"Although we always want the National anthem to play, I did my season's best and the comeback is going okay. There are other competitions as well. I am happy," Chopra had said after his silver-medal finish in Glasgow.
NEERAJ CHOPRA BACK IN DIAMOND LEAGUE
The Lausanne field, however, will present an entirely different challenge.
Leading the entries is Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, who arrives as the world leader after producing a stunning 89.75m throw to win Commonwealth Games gold. The 25-year-old has been the standout javelin thrower this season, recording a personal best of 92.62m at the Golden Gala in Rome in June to become the only athlete to breach the 90-metre mark this year.
Chopra will also renew his rivalry with Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Germany's former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler.
The elite field also features Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, Germany's Julian Weber, Switzerland's Simon Wieland and American Curtis Thompson, currently ranked world No. 2 this season.
In all, five medallists from the recently concluded Commonwealth Games will be in action in Lausanne, underlining the quality of the competition.
"The five javelin superstars, who have won the last four editions of the Olympic Games and World Championships, will be present at Athletissima on August 21 for a competition of extraordinary quality," the organisers said in a statement.
For Chopra, Lausanne has been a happy hunting ground in the past. The Indian won the Diamond League title there in 2022 with a throw of 89.08m before finishing runner-up in 2024 with a career fourth-best effort of 89.49m.
With the Asian Games now fast approaching, another strong performance against the world's best could provide the perfect boost for Chopra as he looks to return to peak form in time to defend India's continental crown.
LAUSANNE DIAMOND LEAGUE: LIVESTREAM
The Lausanne Diamond League will take place on August 21. The schedule of the tournament has not been announced yet. Usually the javelin competition starts at 11:30 pm IST. The competition will be live on JioCinema and Diamond League YouTube.
India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is set for arguably his toughest test since returning from injury when he competes at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21 against a star-studded men's javelin field led by Commonwealth Games champion Rumesh Pathirage.
The Lausanne meet will be Chopra's third competition since recovering from the lower-back injury that sidelined him in September last year and could prove crucial in his build-up to the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
Chopra heads into the event after claiming a confidence-boosting silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a season-best throw of 85.83m. It marked an improvement from the 85.69m he managed in his season opener at the Doha Diamond League in June, where he finished fourth.
"Although we always want the National anthem to play, I did my season's best and the comeback is going okay. There are other competitions as well. I am happy," Chopra had said after his silver-medal finish in Glasgow.
NEERAJ CHOPRA BACK IN DIAMOND LEAGUE
The Lausanne field, however, will present an entirely different challenge.
Leading the entries is Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, who arrives as the world leader after producing a stunning 89.75m throw to win Commonwealth Games gold. The 25-year-old has been the standout javelin thrower this season, recording a personal best of 92.62m at the Golden Gala in Rome in June to become the only athlete to breach the 90-metre mark this year.
Chopra will also renew his rivalry with Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Germany's former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler.
The elite field also features Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, Germany's Julian Weber, Switzerland's Simon Wieland and American Curtis Thompson, currently ranked world No. 2 this season.
In all, five medallists from the recently concluded Commonwealth Games will be in action in Lausanne, underlining the quality of the competition.
"The five javelin superstars, who have won the last four editions of the Olympic Games and World Championships, will be present at Athletissima on August 21 for a competition of extraordinary quality," the organisers said in a statement.
For Chopra, Lausanne has been a happy hunting ground in the past. The Indian won the Diamond League title there in 2022 with a throw of 89.08m before finishing runner-up in 2024 with a career fourth-best effort of 89.49m.
With the Asian Games now fast approaching, another strong performance against the world's best could provide the perfect boost for Chopra as he looks to return to peak form in time to defend India's continental crown.
LAUSANNE DIAMOND LEAGUE: LIVESTREAM
The Lausanne Diamond League will take place on August 21. The schedule of the tournament has not been announced yet. Usually the javelin competition starts at 11:30 pm IST. The competition will be live on JioCinema and Diamond League YouTube.
