Diamonds Are Forever: Neeraj Chopra Earns Over Rs 20 Lakh After Closing 2024 Season With Narrow Misses

Just hits and no misses? Bayern Munich came agonisingly close to lifting the UEFA Champions League at home in 2012. The Bavarian giants had to settle for a runners-up medal before Jupp Heynckes' men ended their 12-year-long wait for a UEFA Champions League title in 2013. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City avenged their 2021 Champions League heartbreak against Chelsea by lifting the famous trophy with a narrow 1-0 win over Inter Milan in 2023. Even Team India witnessed a series of final heartbreaks in the lead-up to the epoch-making summit clash against South Africa in the Caribbean.

No one remembers a runner-up or do they? It was at the Kuortane Games 2021 when javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra last settled for a place outside the top 2. On Saturday, Neeraj bagged another podium finish in his near-miss season as the two-time Olympic medalist came second only by 0.01m in the 2024 Diamond League final. Upstaged by comeback man Anderson Peters, India's 'golden boy' produced a best throw of 87.86m at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels yesterday. With Neeraj falling short by one cm, Peters unleashed the 87.87m winner to claim the Diamond trophy in Comic City.

Neeraj ends 2024 season with narrow misses

Replicating his 2023 performance, Chopra ended the 2024 season with the runners-up honour in the Diamond League. The reigning world champion previously produced second-place finishes at the Paris Olympics, Doha Diamond League, and Lausanne Diamond League this season. Closing the 2024 season with yet another second-place finish, world champion Chopra pocketed USD 12,000 (INR 10.06 lakh) in the grand finale of the Diamond League series.

Place

Series Prize Money

1

$10,000

2

$6,000

3

$3,500

4

$2,000

5

$1,2