Each of Neeraj Chopra's first four throws in the Lausanne Diamond League 2024 was well over the 80m mark but he wasn't anywhere near the top two - Julian Webber and Anderson Peters. The Paris Olympics silver medalist was in danger of missing out on a top-three finish. He only had one throw to make a difference and go ahead of Artur Felfner of Ukraine and give himself another crack at Webber and Peters. After the fifth round, only the top three get the sixth and final attempt in the Diamond Leagues.

Under pressure, Neeraj showed his class by getting 85.58m in the fifth throw but he saved his best for the last. The double Olympic medalist broke his season best for the third time in barely 15 days in his last attempt on Thursday to steal the second spot from Webber with an 89.48m throw.

Before his last throw, Neeraj said, he did not think about the outcome and instead, focussed on the process. The calming words from his Kenyan counterpart Julius Yego, proved crucial.

"(Anderson) Peters threw 90m, my body didn't feel good but the fighting spirit was nice today. I really liked my comeback. In the last throw I didn't think too much, just gave my best," Chopra told the host broadcaster in the mixed zone.

"In the first throw, I thought I will do this, I will do that but in the last throw, I did not, also Julius Yego said 'relax, you will throw far'. I tried to relax," he added.

Yego finished sixth with an effort of 83m.

Chopra said the competition on the day was "strange" as he did not feel he was up to it when he started.

"...in the beginning I did not think I will throw very far but in the end it was good," he said.

Asked how much more would he compete this season, the Indian said, "May be two or one competition and then finish the season. I am not sure, may be Brussels (Diamond League finale)."With seven points from Thursday's second-place finish, Chopra is joint third alongside Weber in Diamond League standings with 15 points. Peters jumped to top spot with 21 points.

Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, who finished seventh (82.03m) on Thursday, is in second spot with 16 points.

This season's DL finals will be held in Brussels on September 14. He needs to finish in the top-six of the series standings to qualify for the finale.

Nursing a long-standing groin injury, Chopra claimed a silver medal in the Paris Olympics on August 8, adding to his historic gold medal in the Tokyo edition of the Games three years ago.

On his goals for next year, Chopra said getting back to full fitness would be his priority.

"First goal, go to the doctor and make my groin 100 per cent fit and also I will be technically better and try to throw far again," he signed off.

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