Neeraj Chopra says he participated in Diamond League Final with a fractured left hand
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra, who won the silver medal in the Diamond League Final, on Sunday revealed he participated in the grand event with a fractured left hand.
He shared an X-ray image of his hand.
In his X post, the Indian athlete wrote: " On Monday, I injured myself in practice and x-rays showed that I had fractured the fourth metacarpal in my left hand. It was another painful challenge for me. But with the help of my team, I was able to participate in Brussels."
As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned through the year - about improvement, setbacks, mentality and more.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) September 15, 2024
On Monday, I injured myself in practice and x-rays showed that I had fractured the fourth metacarpal in my left hand. It was another painful… pic.twitter.com/H8nRkUkaNM
He said: "This was the last competition of the year, and I wanted to end my season on the track. While I couldn’t meet my own expectations, I feel this was a season in which I learned a lot. I am now determined to return, fully fit and ready to go."
He said 2025 has made him a better person and athlete.
India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra narrowly missed his goal of a top podium finish at the Diamond League Final on Saturday, losing to Grenada's Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters by just 1 cm.
Neeraj's best attempt was 87.86 meters at the event held at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
Germany's Julian Weber finished third with his best effort of 85.97 meters.
Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem and 2023 Diamond Trophy winner Jakub Vadlejch did not compete in the Brussels Diamond League Final on Saturday.
With his win, Peters indicated his return to form in the 2024 season.
Neeraj finished as the runner-up in the Diamond League for the second straight year. In 2023, he was unable to retain his Diamond Trophy, losing to Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic. Neeraj's throw reached 83.80m, while Vadlejch claimed the title with a throw of 84.24m.