India’s Neeraj Chopra secured a notable victory at the Paris leg of the 2025 Diamond League on Friday, topping the men’s javelin competition with a throw of 88.16 metres. The event was held at Stade Sébastien Charléty.
The Olympic gold medallist delivered his winning throw on his first attempt, holding off a strong field that included several of his regular rivals. Julian Weber of Germany, who had beaten Chopra at both the Doha Diamond League and the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Poland earlier this year, placed second with a best of 87.88 metres.
Brazil’s Luiz Maurício da Silva finished third, setting a new South American record with a distance of 86.62 metres. Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, who won Olympic gold in London 2012, took fourth place with a throw of 81.66 metres. Grenada’s Anderson Peters, a former world champion and bronze medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, ended in fifth with a top throw of 80.29 metres.
The Paris result marked Neeraj Chopra’s first Diamond League title in two years and his first victory over Julian Weber this season. In their previous meeting in Doha, Chopra had recorded a personal milestone by crossing the 90-metre barrier for the first time, reaching 90.23 metres. Despite the achievement, he was edged out by Weber, whose final throw of 91.06 metres gave him the win.
Neeraj Chopra began his 2025 campaign in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he won an invitational meet with a best attempt of 84.52 metres.
Also read | Arunachal: Youths from Pongchau village excel in academics