T&T's Keshorn Walcott led through five rounds with 82.81 metres in the men's javelin event at the final Diamond League meet, before the break for the Tokyo Olympic Games, in Gateshead, London, on Tuesday and bagged a bronze medal, getting edged in the final round.

At the Muller British Grand Prix which unfolded at the Gateshead International Stadium, the 2012 Olympic champion placed third after the top three athletes in the event were ranked by their results in the sixth and final round.

Germany's Johannes Vetter, whose best throw through the first five rounds was 82.13 m, took the top spot after sending the spear to 85.25m in the round six shoot-out to win the event, with the leading throw of the day.

Another German Julian Weber finished second via the sixth-round bests of 77.16 m compared to Walcott's 76.74m-mark.

The local javelin thrower, who is the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, has been thriving leading up to the delayed Olympic Games in Japan which is set to begin on July 23 and run until August 8.

At the Gateshead meet, he recorded a throw of 79.62m on his first effort, 80.05m on his second, 82.81m on his third, 81.08m on his fourth attempt and sat out the fifth round.

On June 8, 28-year-old Walcott won a silver medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games, Paavo Nurmi Stadium, Turku, Finland. The Toco-born athlete had a best throw of 82.94m to place second in the nine-man field behind 29-year-old Poland's Marcin Krukowsk (89.55m). Bagging the bronze was South African Rocco Van Rooyen with 82.55m.

Walcott' season-best came at the Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen keskusurheilukenttŠ in Finland when the local thrower sailed the spear 89.12 to finish the runner-up.

Three days later, he followed up with another silver medal at the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Lucerne, Switzerland, landing the spear 85.16m on his second attempt.

Walcott will be keen to reach the podium for a third straight Games. The qualifying round in men's javelin for the Tokyo Games is August 4 and the final is August 7.