Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra was forced to end his 2026 season after suffering from an injury during training, ruling him out of the upcoming Asian Games where he is the defending champion.
Chopra said in a social media post that he sustained a ligament tear in his ankle shortly after producing a season-best throw of 88.05m in Lausanne.
"After a period of hard work, I finally felt I was gaining the momentum I had been looking for with a Season's Best throw in Lausanne," Chopra said.
"Unfortunately, shortly after, I sustained a ligament tear in my ankle during training. After discussions with my doctor and team, we've decided that I will sit out the rest of this season. It's disappointing, especially because I felt close to finding my rhythm. But as they say, setbacks are a part of the journey."
"My focus now is on recovering well and coming back even stronger," he added.
Chopra's withdrawal from the season also means he will miss the Diamond League Final and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, for which he had qualified.
He had finished second in both the Doha and Lausanne DL events in June and August and won the silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a throw of 85.83m. He later improved that to 88.05m in the Lausanne Diamond League.
The Tokyo Olympic champion has had a tough time with injuries lately, with another lower back injury that has troubled him since September last year and ended his World Championship defence last year without a medal.