Neeraj Chopra's top three challengers at Diamond League Final 2025

Neeraj Chopra won the Diamond League title in 2022 and finished runner-up in the last two editions.

The ultimate crown of the DL series, the Diamond League Final, will be the last tournament of the 2025 Diamond League season. The competition will be held in Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland, on 27 August and 28. The meet is also known as Weltklasse Zürich, and the 2025 season will be the 65 edition of the same.

The Diamond League Final 2025 will feature 32 events, with 16 each for men and women. Athletes have qualified for the meet after accumulating points on the Diamond League tour.

In men’s javelin throw, the top six ranked athletes after the completion of the tour have qualified for the finals, while Swiss athlete Simon Wieland has received a wildcard entry.

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Among the participants are defending champion Anderson Peters, the man in form Julian Weber, London Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, 2015 world champion Julius Yego and 2019 University Games champion Andrian Mardare, apart from India’s star javelin throw and two-time Olympic medallist—Neeraj Chopra.

While Chopra, Diamond League champion in 2022 and runner-up in 2023 & 2024, will be the favourite, he will have stiff competition from Germany’s Julian Weber. That said, let us look at the top three challengers for Neeraj Chopra in men’s javelin throw at Diamond League Final 2025.

Neeraj Chopra’s top challengers in Diamond League Final 2025

Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago)

London Olympic Champion, Keshron Walcott, is one of the big names that is participating in this meet. Walcott, who has been struggling with his form for the last few years, hasn’t hit a big throw since his 89.07m attempt in 2022.

He recently achieved his best throw from the last three years in Brussels, where he registered an effort of 86.30, helping him qualify for the Diamond League final.

Walcott is among the few modern-day athletes, who has breached the 90m mark. Even though he is not that consistent these days, one can never count him out, as he can certainly pull out a giant throw in the competition.

Neeraj Chopra leads 13-3 in the head-to-head against Walcott, and Walcott’s last finish above Neeraj was way back in 2021.

Also Read: Top five matchups to watch at Zurich Diamond League Final 2025

Anderson Peters (Grenada)

Reigning champion, Anderson Peters, who beat Neeraj to lift the title in 2024 edition will return to Zurich seeking a second straight win.

Anderson won bronze at Paris Olympics with a throw of 88.54m, finishing behind Neeraj (silver) and Arshad Nadeem (gold).  However, his recent form is a concern, given his battle with injuries. The Grenadian has a season best throw of 85.64m.

Also Read: Who holds the record for longest javelin throw, and where does Neeraj Chopra stand in the list?

However, with three 90m-plus throws in his locker, the 27-year-old cannot be taken lightly.

The head-to-head stands at 19-6 in favour of Neeraj Chopra, and Anders has finished ahead of Neeraj twice post Paris Olympics. If he regains his best form once again, Peters can be a serious challenger for the Diamond League final title.

Julian Weber (Germany)

After missing the Olympic medal in Paris, Julian Weber has gone on a winning spree and has been in tremendous form. This year, Julian has participated in nine tournaments, winning eight times.

The 30-year-old German has redeemed himself after a couple of fourth and fifth place finishes and will be looking for the two biggest titles of the year—the World Athletics Championships and Diamond League Final.

The former European Champion will pose a serious threat to Neeraj on his road to victory in Zurich. Weber holds the world lead in men’s javelin, with a throw of 91.06m, which he registered in Doha. It made him the latest men’s javelin star to enter the 90m club.

Even though Neeraj enjoys a 15-4 head-to-head against Weber, the 30-year-old has defeated Neeraj twice in the last three meetings, and considering his form, it will be a great battle between the two.

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