Indian Olympic gold medalist and reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra crossed a major milestone in his career by breaching the 90-metre mark for the first time at the Doha Diamond League. With a sensational throw of 90.23 meters in his third attempt, Chopra not only broke his own national record but also became the first Indian javelin thrower to surpass the prestigious 90-meter barrier.
Despite the historic achievement, Chopra had to settle for second place after Germany’s Julian Weber produced a last-round throw of 91.06 meters to clinch the top spot. Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured third with a best throw of 85.64 meters.
Taking to social media after the event, Neeraj expressed his gratitude and optimism. “Happy to finally achieve the 90m mark at the Doha DL. A big thank you to the Indian supporters in the stadium for their encouragement, and to those watching and praying from home. Grateful to my coach, Jan Zelezny, and physio Ishaan Marwaha for their constant support. This is just the beginning,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Chopra’s coach Jan Zelezny, a legend in javelin and the current world record holder with a throw of 98.48 meters, has been instrumental in guiding Neeraj toward this breakthrough.
The competition began on a strong note for Neeraj, who started the season with an 88.44-meter throw. His second attempt was a foul, but he retained the lead with his third throw of 90.23 meters. His next throws—80.56 meters, a foul, and 88.20 meters—weren’t enough to reclaim the top spot after Weber’s final effort.
Neeraj had previously come close to the 90m mark with a throw of 89.94 meters at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. His latest performance not only cements his status as one of the top javelin throwers globally but also fuels anticipation for even greater achievements in the upcoming season.
