Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin superstar, is set to compete at the Paris Diamond League 2025, seeking his first major victory of the season. The event takes place at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris on Friday, June 20, with Neeraj's event scheduled to begin at 1:12 AM IST on Saturday, June 21.
This marks Chopra's return to the Paris Diamond League after eight years, his last appearance being in 2017 when he finished fifth. The two-time Olympic medallist has had a strong start to the 2025 season, beginning with a win at the Potch Invitational Meet in South Africa in April. However, he is aiming for an even greater performance in Paris.
In his first Diamond League appearance of the season in Doha, Neeraj made history by finally breaching the 90-metre mark, achieving a throw of 90.23m. This set a new Indian national record. Despite this achievement, he finished second to Germany's Julian Weber, who threw a personal best of 91.06m. The competition between Chopra and Weber continued at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland, where Weber again took the lead with 86.12m, while Neeraj finished second with 84.14m in wet conditions.
The Paris Diamond League promises to be a highly competitive event, featuring a star-studded lineup. Besides Julian Weber, the field includes two-time world champion Anderson Peters, who has a personal best of 93.07m. Other notable competitors include former world champion Julius Yego, and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott. The start list also features Brazil's Luiz Maurício da Silva, Moldova's Andrian Mardare, and France's Remi Rougetet.
For fans in India eager to watch Neeraj Chopra in action, the event will be live-streamed on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel. Unfortunately, there will be no live telecast on TV channels in India.
After the Paris Diamond League, Neeraj's schedule includes participation in the Ostrava Golden Spikes in Czechia on June 24, followed by the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on July 5.
