Neeraj Chopra recently won a silver medal with a stellar performance at the Commonwealth Games, while Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage secured the gold medal in the same competition.
Diamond League: Neeraj Chopra returns to the track—will he make history once again?
India's ace javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will participate in the Lausanne Diamond League competition on August 21. Organizers confirmed this on August 3. This will mark Neeraj's fourth appearance at the event, known as 'Athletissima'.
Having recently won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 85.83 meters, Neeraj will now aim to return to top form through this tournament.
Neeraj Chopra will face Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage.
Neeraj Chopra won this event in 2022 with a magnificent throw of 89.08 meters and continued his winning streak the following year by throwing the javelin 87.66 meters. Subsequently, at the 2024 Lausanne Diamond League, he finished second despite an impressive performance of 89.49 meters.
A tough contest is expected in this 2026 event, as Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage—who recently won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games—is also participating. He secured the top spot and the gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a best throw of 89.75 meters.
Many seasoned athletes to compete in the Lausanne Diamond League
Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem will also participate in this event, promising fans another thrilling contest. Joining him, stalwarts such as two-time world champion Anderson Peters, Germany's Thomas Röhler, and Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott will showcase their skills in the javelin throw.
Neeraj Chopra finished fourth at the Doha Diamond League
The Lausanne Diamond League will mark Neeraj Chopra's third major competition of the year. Previously, he finished fourth at the Doha Diamond League in June and subsequently won a silver medal for India at the Commonwealth Games. Neeraj has returned to action this year after a long hiatus caused by a serious injury and a recovery period following the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. His most impressive performance of the season so far was at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Lausanne Diamond League 2026 Javelin Throw Entry List
- Anderson Peters (Grenada)
- Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan)
- Curtis Thompson (USA)
- Jakub Vadlejch (Czechia)
- Julian Weber (Germany)
- Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Neeraj Chopra (India)
- Rumesh Pathirage (Sri Lanka)
- Simon Wieland (Switzerland)
- Thomas Röhler (Germany)
