Doha Diamond League 2024: Neeraj Chopra finishes second, just 2cm short of Jakub Vadlejch - full results
Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra logged his best effort of 88.36m on the final attempt while Kishore Jena finished ninth. Here's how it happened.
Athletics
Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and world champion, started his 2024 season with a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League 2024 on Friday.
Neeraj Chopra started slowly at the Qatar Sports Club but finished strong with an impressive throw of 88.36m on his final attempt, just 2cm short of Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch, the reigning Diamond League champion and silver medal winner from Tokyo 2020. Interestingly, it was Vadlejch who pipped Chopra to win the Doha Diamond League last year.
"The most important competition for me this year is Paris Olympics, but Diamond League meetings are important too," Neeraj said. "This was the opener for me in this season, I finished second with a narrow two centimetre margin, but next time I will try to draw far and try to win."
Former world champion Anderson Peters came in third with an 86.62m attempt, which also came on his final try.
After starting with a foul, Chopra, who holds the Indian national record, managed 84.93m with his second throw before logging 86.24m in his third attempt. The Diamond League 2022 champion finally hit his stride with his final throw of the night.
Meanwhile, India’s Kishore Jena, who claimed the silver medal at the Asian Games last year with a personal best of 87.54m, endured a disappointing Diamond League debut, finishing ninth with a best throw of 76.31m.
Here's how the men's javelin throw table stood at the end of the competition.
Doha Diamond League 2024 men's javelin throw results
So close!
Neeraj Chopra, known for his explosive starts, saved his best for the last at Doha. A distance of 88.36m on the final attempt... just two centimetres short of Vadlejch. Peters logs 86.62m on his final throw to finish third.
Neeraj Chopra’s throws
- X
- 84.93m
- 86.24m
- 86.18m
- 82.28m
- 88.36m
Peters threatens Chopra's mark
The former world champion comes up with an impressive throw but Chopra is still second after the distance is measured at 85.08m. Chopra's fifth attempt was of 82.28m. Vadlejch, meanwhile, registered a foul. After the fifth throw, only the top three will get the sixth and final attempt.
86.18m for Chopra on fourth throw
The Indian javelin ace stays second after hitting 86.16m on his next attempt. Vadlejch throws 84.04m on his fourth try. The two Tokyo Olympic medallists are proving to be a cut above the rest in Doha.
Chopra second at the halfway stage!
Chopra seems to be gaining momentum with each throw. The reigning world champion hits 86.24m to reclaim second place after three rounds. Peters fouls before Jena logs 76.31m. Jena had achieved 87.54m to win the silver medal at the Asian Games last year.
Kishore Jena is out
Kishore Jena's Diamond League debut started slowly and he has to make way after three throws as he is ninth at the halfway stage. The top eight get at least two more attempts while the top three after five rounds will get an additional throw each.
Kishore Jena’s throws
- 75.72m
- X
- 76.31m
Vadlejch leads with a huge 88.38m
The Tokyo 2020 silver medallist is not holding back and is running away with the contest at the halfway stage.
Peters leapfrogs Chopra
Peters throws his season-best of 85.75m to push Chopra to the third place after two rounds. Jena registers a 'no mark'. Peters had beaten Chopra for the gold medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Vadlejch improves his lead
Vadlejch extends his lead with 86.93 with his second throw. The Czechia athlete seems to be building momentum with each attempt.
Chopra off the mark!
Chopra registers 84.93m on his first valid attempt to climb up to the second spot. Surely, more to come from the Indian ace.
Kishore Jena's maiden Diamond League throw...
Jena hits a modest 75.72m with his maiden throw at the Diamond League. Hopefully, that'll settle his nerves.
Neeraj starts with a foul
A foul for Neeraj Chopra on his first throw of the season. Reigning champion Vadlejch logs 85.87m to take pole position early on.
And we're off! The men's javelin throw competition at the Doha Diamond League 2024 is underway. Stay tuned for live updates!
Javelin throw records on the line
- World record: 98.48m - Jan Zelezny (CZE)
- Meet record: 93.90m - Thomas Rohler (GER)
- Asian record: 91.36m - Chao-Tsun Cheng (TPE)
- Indian record: 89.94m - Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra’s Diamond League performances
Just a few minutes more! Till then, here’s a recap of Neeraj Chopra’s achievements in the Diamond League.
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League Trophy in 2022 in Zurich with a best effort of 88.44m, leaving behind Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch.
However, Vadlejch got the better of Neeraj last year to reclaim the Diamond League title. Neeraj had logged 83.80m in the 2023 final at Eugene while Vadlejch took the trophy with a distance of 84.24m.
Last year, Neeraj Chopra won the Doha and Lausanne legs of the Diamond League series with best throws of 88.67m and 87.66, respectively, before coming second in Zurich with a distance of 85.71m.
In 2022, Chopra won the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League after finishing second in Stockholm, where he had bettered his own national record with an 89.94m throw.
At the 2017 Diamond League Final, Neeraj Chopra finished seventh with an 83.80m throw among eight finalists. The Indian javelin thrower improved the following year and came in fourth with an 85.73m effort.
Jena, on the other hand, will be making his Diamond League debut tonight.
Men’s javelin throw entry list at Doha Diamond League 2024
The men’s javelin throw event at Doha Diamond League is just over an hour away. Here’s a breakdown of what exactly Chopra and Jena will face tonight.
Reigning Diamond League champion Jakub Vadlejch will feature in his second event of the year. He won the ASA Athletics Grand Prix in South Africa with an 87m throw in March. Former world champions Julius Yego and Anderson Peters are also in the mix.
Neeraj Chopra trivia!
While we await, here are some interesting facts about India’s javelin ace.
Hello and welcome to the Olympics.com’s live coverage of the Doha Diamond League 2024 men’s javelin throw competition from the Qatar Sports Club.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and world champion, and Asian Games silver medallist Kishore Jena are all set to kickstart their 2024 season tonight in the Qatari capital.
This will be Neeraj Chopra’s first competitive outing since winning the gold medal at the Asian Games in October last year. The same applies to Jena, who took the silver in Hangzhou.
Earlier in 2023, Chopra claimed India’s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest but conceded his Diamond League title to Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch.
The two Indian athletes have already secured Paris 2024 Olympic quotas and will be looking for strong starts to their seasons with the Summer Games less than three months away.