Eugene Diamond League: Javelin thrower Neeraj finishes sixth

Eugene [U.S.A], May 26 (ANI): After a dazzling performance in Doha that saw him break a national record, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra failed to conjure up the magic and finished at the sixth spot in the 2018 IAAF Diamond League here at Eugene in USA on Saturday.

The 20-year-old clocked a best throw of 80.81m--his lowest point of the season so far--to settle at the sixth place.

Olympic champion Thomas Rohle, who also bagged a gold medal in Doha, once again dominated the event with a best throw of 89.88m.

Meanwhile, world champion Johannes Vetter (89.34) and his German compatriot Andreas Hofmann (86.45) settled for silver and bronze respectively.

Earlier this month, Neeraj Chopra missed on a bronze medal but shattered his own national record by finishing fourth at the season-opening leg of the IAAF Diamond League in Doha.

The 20-year-old clocked a throw of 87.43 m in his second attempt to break his previously owned national record mark of 86.48 metres.

Neeraj, meanwhile, had clinched gold at the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast with a throw of 86.47m--his previous season's best.

The javelin thrower, who hails from Khandra village of Panipat, had not only added his name in an elite list of Indian athletes to clinch gold in their CWG debut but also became the first Indian javelin thrower to clinch gold in the 2018 edition.

Neeraj also became the second javelin thrower overall to pick a medal in the prestigious quadrennial event, with the first being Kashinath Naik, who took home bronze in the 2010 Delhi edition of the Games.(ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI