New Delhi [India], September 15 : Paris Olympics silver medallist Neeraj Chopra thanked his supporters for their encouragement throughout his 2024 campaign.
On Sunday, Chopra narrowly missed out on another title by just 1 centimetre, finishing second in the Diamond League final with a best throw of 87.86 metres at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.
The two-time Olympic medallist took to his official social media handle on Monday to share his reflections on the year.
"As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I've learned - about improvement, setbacks, mentality, and more. On Monday, I injured myself in practice, and X-rays revealed a fracture in the fourth metacarpal of my left hand. It was yet another painful challenge. However, with the support of my team, I was able to compete in Brussels," Chopra posted on X.
"This was the last competition of the year, and I wanted to finish my season on the track. While I didn't meet my own expectations, I feel this was a season of great learning. I'm now determined to return stronger, fully fit, and ready for 2025. Thank you all for your support. 2024 has made me a better athlete and person. See you in 2025. Jai Hind," he added.
In the Diamond League final, Chopra started strong with a throw of 86.82m, placing him second behind Peters, whose winning throw came in the opening round. Julian Weber also recorded his best on his first attempt. Chopra followed up with an 83.49m throw and came close to overtaking Peters on his third attempt, missing by just 1 centimetre. His subsequent throws measured 82.04m, 83.30m, and 86.46m.
This marked Chopra's fifth appearance in the Diamond League final. He finished seventh in 2017, fourth in 2018, and won the Diamond League crown in 2022 with a throw of 88.44m. Last year, he finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch with a throw of 83.80m.
The 26-year-old accumulated 14 points across two Diamond League meets this season to qualify for the final. He finished second in both the Doha leg in May and the Lausanne event last month, placing fourth on the overall points table. Seven athletes competed in the men's javelin throw final.
Chopra set a national record of 89.94m at the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League in 2022 and recorded his career's second-best throw of 89.49m at the Lausanne meet last month. His silver-winning throw in Paris measured an impressive 89.45m.
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