India’s double Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the 2026 Diamond League Finals on Thursday despite missing three of the five meets in the calendar. Chopra qualified for the finals slated to be held in Brussels on September 4 and 5, even after missing the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday.

Commonwealth Games champion Rumesh Pathirage secured his top spot among the six finalists after winning the event in Zurich with another massive throw. The Sri Lankan stole the show with a whopping 92.07m effort, his second-best behind a 92.67m throw in the Rome Diamond League in June this year.

Besides Pathirage, who accumulated 39 points and Neeraj, who sneaked in at sixth place with 12 points, Anderson Peters, Keshorn Walcott, Curtis Thompson and Julius Yego have made the javelin final.

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Neeraj came second at the Lausanne Diamond League last week with a season-best throw of 88.05m, finishing behind Pathirage. Chopra led the javelin throw after two throws from all nine competitors, thanks to a season-best throw of 88.05 metres. But Chopra’s stay at the top was short-lived. In the third round of throws, Pathirage produced an event-winning effort of 88.14 metres, a lead which was never even threatened.

92.06 Sri Lanka terminator… wow pic.twitter.com/OXphCyocl6

— TZA Throwing Zone Athletics (@MichaelMMG71) August 27, 2026

“I didn’t realise it was only nine centimetres (apart), it was really close, but I’m happy with the 88-metre throw,” Neeraj said afterwards. “To be honest, it didn’t feel like it went 88 metres because I felt very relaxed. I tried really hard and later focused on my technique. With every competition, I feel that I’m coming back.”

Chopra spent nine months out of the sport with injury before making a comeback at the Doha Diamond League in June where he had finished fourth with a best of 85.69m. After the Commonwealth Games silver, Chopra had posted a long emotional post on his social media accounts about finishing second and what it meant for him personally.

“There are throws that travel far, and then there are moments that carry the weight of an entire journey. This one means so much more than the distance. The past 10 months have tested me in ways I never expected. Recovering from multiple injuries, rebuilding my body, finding my rhythm again, and learning to be patient when all I wanted was to compete. I was training every day without knowing if I would even have a season to compete this year. To be back competing at this level feels good,” Chopra had written

MEN’S JAVELIN DIAMOND LEAGUE FINALS 2026

1. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (Sri Lanka) – 39 points


2. Anderson Peters (Grenada) – 35 points


3. Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago) – 23 points


4. Curtis Thompson (USA) – 20 points


5. Julius Yego (Kenya) – 13 points


6. Neeraj Chopra (India) – 12 points