Neeraj Chopra competed in Diamond League Final with fractured left hand

New Delhi, Sep 15: Following his second-place finish in the Diamond League Final, Neeraj Chopra took to social media to reflect on his 2024 campaign. One of India’s leading athletes, the 26-year-old also revealed he participated in Brussels with a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left hand.

“As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned through the year - about improvement, setbacks, mentality and more. On Monday, I injured myself in practice and an X-ray 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,” wrote Chopra in his post.

Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to win gold medal in the Olympics, finished second in Brussels with a best throw of 87.86m in the Diamond League Final, on Saturday night. He missed out on the top spot by just a 1 cm margin. Anderson Peters, who won and finished at the top, hurled the spear to a distance of 87.87m to finish at the numero uno position. He won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

The Diamond League Final at Brussels ended Chopra’s underwhelming 2024 campaign which also saw him finish second at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The reigning World Champion previously produced second-place finishes at the Paris Olympics, Doha Diamond League, and Lausanne Diamond League this season.

“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. I want to thank all of you for your encouragement. 2024 has made me a better athlete and person. See you in 2025.” the Tokyo Olympic Games gold medallist added in his post.