Neeraj Chopra came fourth on his competitive return in the men's javelin throw final at the Doha Diamond League on Friday. The Indian ace's best throw was 85.69m, but he failed to qualify for the final round as he wasn't in the top three.
Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage continued his hot form, coming first with a best throw of 88.68m. This is Neeraj's first competition in the 2026 season.
He began with a foul, before settling into the competition with throws of 82.77m and 85.69m in his second and third attempts. The 85.69m throw was his best of the evening.
Pathirage, who came to Qatar as the world leader after his sensational 92.62m throw earlier this season, was the best! He produced a winning effort of 88.68m in the fourth round after opening with throws of 82.62m, 84.62m and 80.53m.
He followed it up with throws of 84.47m and 81.35m to clinch victory.
Meanwhile, Grenada's Anderson Peters came second with a season-best throw of 86.38m. He got his best throw in his second attempt and was Pathirage's closest challenger.
The USA's Curtis Thompson came third with a season-best throw of 85.99m.
Neeraj was in podium contention after his third round throw, but failed to find any consistency. His fourth attempt was 83.45m, before recording fouls in the fifth and sixth rounds.
This was also his comeback event after months on the sidelines while recovering from a back injury.
Ukraine's Artur Felfner came fifth with 83.62m and Kenya's Julius Yego placed sixth with 82.22m.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott, who is also the reigning world champion, ended seventh with 81.47m.
On the other hand, Czechia's Jakub Vadlejch was eighth with 80.38m, and Egypt's Ahmed Sameh Hussein finished ninth with 79.21m.
The result also showcased Pathirage's rise and his challenge to Neeraj.
He has become one of the sport's standout performers this year and added another victory to his resume.
Neeraj will need to find some consistency this year, something which he has failed to find throughout his career.
Although he fell short of a podium finish, the outing has given him competitive exposure this year, and this will be a crucial season for him.
His best throw was less than a metre behind third-placed Thompson, which suggests he is not that far away.
