Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra registered his strongest performance in over a year but was narrowly beaten to the top spot by rising Sri Lankan talent Rumesh Pathirage by just nine centimetres at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting on Friday.

The 28-year-old Chopra launched an 88.05m effort on his second attempt, securing second place in a star-studded nine-man field. The mark represented his best performance since recording 88.16m at the Paris Diamond League in June 2025, while also serving as his new season-best. However, 23-year-old Pathirage maintained his remarkable form, overtaking the Indian superstar with a third-round throw of 88.14m to claim victory. Grenada's Anderson Peters finished third with an 86.69m attempt on his final throw, while Keshorn Walcott placed fourth at 83.71m. USA's Curtis Thompson finished sixth with 78.13m, and Tokyo silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch took seventh with 77.32m.