The Diamond League 2025 Final in Zurich turned into a night of dominance for Germany's Julian Weber, who claimed the top prize with a pair of colossal
90m-plus throws. India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, despite battling inconsistencies, managed to pull off a late effort to secure second place and extend his remarkable streak of podium finishes.
Weber announced his intentions early, launching a personal-best 91.37m with his opening attempt. If that wasn't enough, he went even further in his next throw, stretching it to 91.51m and virtually sealing the gold medal. His powerful display left the rest of the field scrambling to catch up, and no one came close to dethroning him on the night.
Chopra, the double Olympic champion, began solidly with 84.35m but followed it up with a modest 82.00m. What followed were three successive fouls that added pressure, yet the 27-year-old showed composure to finish strong. On his final attempt, he hurled the spear to 85.01m, enough to confirm a second-place finish.
The competition for third was intense, with Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott clinching the bronze medal with a best of 84.95m. He edged out Grenada's Anderson Peters, who managed 82.06m. Kenyan veteran Julius Yego (82.01m) and Moldova's Andrian Mardare (81.81m) were next in line, while Switzerland's Simon Wieland finished last in front of his home crowd.
For Chopra, Zurich added another chapter to his legacy of consistency at the Diamond League. He has now finished in the top two of the Finals for four straight seasons. After winning the coveted title in 2022, he has come away with second-place finishes in 2023, 2024, and now 2025. More impressively, he has not missed the podium in any international event for nearly four years.
Reflecting on the performance, Chopra acknowledged there was still room for improvement. "This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the world championships, so I still need to throw a little bit further," he said. "There were a few things that went well, but still, there were things which did not go that well. The run-up was not so good. There is something I didn't find today. "
While Weber celebrated his golden night, Chopra's consistency continues to underline his stature as one of the sport's most reliable performers.
