Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, along with Germany’s Julian Weber, will be the marquee names in the men’s javelin field at the Paris Diamond League on June 20. The event is shaping up to be one of the season’s most hyped competitions, featuring a seven-man lineup that also includes Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters.
Neeraj Chopra returns to the Paris Diamond League after eight years, having last competed at the Stade Charlety in 2017 as a junior world champion. On that occasion, he finished fifth in the league with an impressive throw of 84.67 metres. Now a double Olympic medalist, Neeraj returns to the tournament targeting his first major win of the 2025 season, having finished second in two successive competitions in May.
The start list for the men’s javelin throw in the Paris Diamond League includes
- Neeraj Chopra (India)
- Julian Weber (Germany)
- Anderson Peters (Grenada)
- Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Julius Yego (Kenya)
- Andrian Mardare (Moldova)
- Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil)
Among the seven throwers, only Julian Weber and Anderson Peters have personal bests that exceed Chopra’s. Weber holds a lifetime best of 91.44 metres, while Peters has thrown 93.07 metres. Chopra himself recently joined the exclusive 90-metre club with his phenomenal performance in Doha last month, where he produced a powerful throw of 90.23 metres to finally break the 90-metre barrier.
ALSO READ
Neeraj Chopra smashes 90.23m and becomes the 25th Javelin thrower to cross the90m barrier
Chopra opened his 2025 season with a victory at a minor invitational meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he registered a throw of 84.52 metres. He then hit a career milestone on May 16 in Doha, recording a personal best of 90.23 metres, his first time crossing the 90-metre mark. Despite the feat, he finished only second behind Weber, who claimed the top spot with a standout 91.06-metre effort.
“Javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra, a double Olympic medallist, and Anderson Peters, a double world champion, are among the five entrants who have already crossed the 90m line,” organisers noted in a statement, describing the competition as “one that promises to be a crazy one”.
ALSO READ
After the Paris Diamond League, Chopra’s calendar continues with the Golden Spike athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 24 June. He will then head to Bengaluru for the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic on 5 July, a World Athletics category A event which he will also host.
The men’s javelin is expected to be one of the key field events in Paris, with Chopra seeking his first Diamond League victory of the season. With Olympic qualification and form on the line, the contest featuring Chopra, Weber, and Peters is shaping up to be a major highlight of the meeting.