Athletics-Chopra ends season early after ligament tear

Former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra ​has ended his 2026 ​season early after ‌sustaining a ​ligament tear during training, the javelin thrower announced in an Instagram post on ‌Saturday. The 28-year-old Indian, who took gold at the Tokyo Olympics and won silver in Paris, placed second in the Lausanne Diamond League ‌with a throw of 88.05 metres last week, but ‌suffered the injury soon after, getting sidelined for a long period for the second time in a year.

"After discussions with my doctor and team, ⁠we've ​decided that I ⁠will sit out the rest of this season," Chopra posted. "It's disappointing, especially ⁠because I felt close to finding my rhythm. But as they ​say, setbacks are a part of the journey."

Chopra, who had ⁠been dealing with lower back discomfort since 2023, aggravated a disc injury ⁠in ​September 2025 during training. Later that month, he went into a nine-month rehabilitation period after the Tokyo World Championships, ⁠and returned in June. He had qualified for the Diamond League finals ⁠set for ⁠Brussels next month.

"My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger," Chopra ‌added.