Neeraj Chopra Glows in Paris with an Impressive Victory After Two Years

Neeraj Chopra continued to show why he is among the best javelin throwers in the world. In an impressive display of skill at the Paris Diamond League, the Indian Olympic sensation clinched his first title in the elite series after a hiatus of two years. His 88.16 meters throw in the first round proved to be the decisive mark on a night filled with extremely competitive competition. Even not crossing the 90 meter threshold, Neeraj still outclassed his tough competitors such as Julian Weber of Germany and Luiz Mauricio Da Silva of Brazil. This win was all the more special for Neeraj as it was his maiden victory at the Paris leg of the Diamond League. He had last participated in this event in 2017 when he was a junior world champion and had secured the fifth position with a throw of 84.67 meters.

Julian Weber provided a good competition and began well with an opening throw of 87.88 meters but it was not sufficient to surpass Neeraj. Weber had also beaten Neeraj recently at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet in Poland when both runners were poor in cold and rainy weather. On that day Weber had thrown 86.12 meters while Neeraj had thrown only 84.14 meters and took the second spot. But in Paris, things were otherwise and Neeraj ensured that he got back into shape in a dominating fashion. Brazil's Luiz Mauricio Da Silva finished in third place in Paris with a throw of 86.62 meters in his third attempt. The competition was full of big names and boasted five throwers who had already crossed the 90 meter barrier. But it was Neeraj who emerged triumphant among all of them.

Neeraj was obviously happy with his performance although he conceded that his run-up was exceptionally quick. He claimed to be content with the outcome and the first position even though he could not manage his speed in a proper manner throughout the throw. The 27-year-old Haryana athlete has already made India proud by clinching both gold and silver medals at the Olympics. This victory put another feather in his cap as he reached the top of the Diamond League podium for the first time since June 2023. The previous win had been in Lausanne where he had hurled 87.66 meters. Since then, Neeraj had to content himself with second positions in six various Diamond League events before making his grand comeback in Paris.

His Paris throw sequence was not flawless but it did the job. Following the triumphal throw in round one he added an 85.10 meter throw then had three consecutive fouls and concluded with 82.89 meters on his last attempt. Although the results were uneven following the first throw the initial mark of 88.16 meters was untouchable and awarded him the championship. This victory was not about figures it was about momentum and confidence. It demonstrated that Neeraj is coming into form at the right moment as he is building up to a rigorous athletics season ahead.

For the rest of the competitors Kenya's former world champion Julius Yego came in sixth place throwing 80.26 meters. Anderson Peters of Grenada and former world champion also failed and came fifth with a throw of 80.29 meters. Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott who was a gold medal winner at the 2012 Olympics placed fourth with an 81.66 meter throw. Although these are names to be reckoned with in javelin it was Neeraj Chopra who produced the performance that was outstanding on the night.

Earlier in the season Neeraj had started his 2025 campaign on a winning note in an invitational tournament in Potchefstroom South Africa. Even though that was a low-level event in category F it got him off to a good start as he launched 84.52 meters to claim the lead. His largest moment prior to Paris this year was during the Doha stop of the Diamond League on May 16 when he finally broke the 90 meter mark with a toss of 90.23 meters. On that day he settled for runner-up as Weber staged a last-round throw of 91.06 meters in dramatic fashion to win. But that experience instilled in Neeraj the confidence that he is able to throw over 90 meters more frequently.

Neeraj himself added that he is hoping to follow up 90 meter throws this season after he has already managed to do so once in Doha. But he also detailed that a lot will be based on the weather and how the body is feeling on a given day. The key is that he believes in himself and feels that another big throw can arrive at any moment soon. His next events are the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava just four days after his victory in Paris. He will next be in action in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, India's first category A meet under World Athletics, which is being organized on July 5 in Bengaluru. He will be hosting the event himself, marking another milestone in his career.

With this victory in Paris, Neeraj Chopra not only regained the top spot on the Diamond League circuit but also made it clear that he is far from done dominating his competitors. He is fit and set for greater challenges. His ride is ongoing with more major meets lined up and supporters around India and the globe will be rallying behind him as he strives to gain momentum. Currently the limelight is on Neeraj Chopra who again made India proud with his tranquil concentration firm performance and a victorious throw which did not have to exceed 90 meters to demonstrate his brilliance.