Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra produced his best performance in more than a year but was still beaten by Sri Lanka’s rising star Rumesh Pathirage by just nine centimetres in the Lausanne Diamond League here on Friday.

The 28-year-old Chopra’s 88.05m throw in the second round, which fetched him the second spot in the nine-manfield, was his best after the 88.16m he recorded while winning the Paris Diamond League in June 2025.