Neeraj Chopra once again came short against Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage as the Indian javelin ace finished second in the Lausanne Diamond League on Saturday. The 28-year-old took the top spot for a brief while after his second throw; however, Pathirage reclaimed the pole position soon enough, and Neeraj wasn’t able to recover from there on. This is now the third time in the 2026 season that Pathirage has managed to get the better of India’s two-time Olympic medallist.
It was with his second throw that Neeraj jumped to the top. Pathirage eventually won the Lausanne Diamond League with the best attempt of 88.14 metres, while Neeraj finished second with a best throw of 88.05m. Anderson Peters of Grenada came third with the best attempt of 86.69m. Speaking of the Lausanne Diamond League, Neeraj began the competition with a throw of 83.54 metres, but his initial effort came short of Pathirage, and he was in second place for starters. The trademark roar came out after the second throw, and Neeraj registered 88.05metres, moving ahead of Pathirage and Peters.
The Lausanne Meet was really important for Neeraj’s chances to climb the season-ending Finals standings. It is worth noting that only the top six athletes in javelin qualify for the final, and additional spots are available only through a national or global wildcard.
Before the Lausanne Diamond League, Neeraj was seventh in the standings with five points.
