Lausanne Diamond League: Chopra set to lock horns with Pathirage

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India’s javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra will gear up to compete in the Lausanne Diamond League, which is scheduled to be held on August 21.

The event will see a star-studded men’s javelin throwers take the field, which will also include the likes of recently-crowned Commonwealth Games 2026 champion Rumesh Pathirage from Sri Lanka.

In fact, the fans will witness five javelin throwers from the Commonwealth Games 2026 take part in the event.

“The five javelin superstars, who have won the last four editions of the Olympic Games and World Championships, will be present at Athletissima on August 21 for a competition of extraordinary quality,” said the organisers.

In the concluded edition of the Games in Glasgow, Chopra managed to clinch a silver medal with a season’s best throw of 85.83m. In Lausanne, he will lock horns with Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany, apart from Pathirage.

Tokyo Olympic silver-medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, Germany’s Julian Weber, Switzerland’s Simon Wieland and American Curtis Thompson, the world No. 2 this season, will also feature in the event.

The Lausanne Diamond League will mark the 28-year-old Indian athlete’s third competition since returning to the field after recovering from his lower-back injury.

Neeraj Chopra’s comments after winning silver medal in Commonwealth Games 2026

Earlier, he registered a throw of 85.69m and finished fourth in the Doha Diamond League. However, he improved in the Commonwealth Games by a thin margin and expressed happiness with his performance.

“Although we always want the National anthem to play, I did my season’s best and the comeback is going okay. There are other competitions as well. I am happy,” he said.

Chopra had finished runner-up at the Lausanne Diamond League in 2024 with a career fourth-best throw of 89.49m after winning the title in 2022 with an 89.08m effort.

Pathirage heads to Lausanne in red-hot form after winning the Commonwealth Games title with 89.75m. The Sri Lankan has a personal best of 92.62m, achieved at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Roma in June this year, making him the only thrower to breach the 90m mark this season.

(With PTI Inputs)

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