India’s Ster Javelin Werler Neeraj Chopra finally broke the 90m barrier and reached a personal record of 90.23 m in the Doha leg of the Diamond League 2025 (a file photo) | Photocredit: Gurinder Osan/PTI
Neeraj Chopra has finally violated the elusive 90 -meter limit with a throw of 90.23m, but the Trailing Indian had to settle for a second place behind the German Julian Weber in a dramatic men’s game in the Doha stage of the prestigious Diamond League Meeting series here on Friday.
The 27-year-old Double Olympic medal winner Indian sent his spear 90.23m in his third attempt to participate in a list of Speerworders, led by his current coach Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic, who had registered 90m-plus efforts. He became the third Asian and 25th general to achieve the performance.
Weber, however, turned the tables and took the first place with his sixth and final throw, measuring from 91.06m. Chopra led for Weber’s last attempt.
It was also the first 90m-plus effort of the German and he became the 26th Javelin world to break the coveted brand. His effort was the leading marking so far this season.
Two -time world champion and Parisian Olympic bronze medal winner Anderson Peters from Grenada became third with his opening throw of 84.65m.
“I am very happy that I have violated the 90m figure, but it is a bittersweet experience,” said Chopra, whose earlier personal and national record was 89.94 million, later.
“My coach Jan Zelezny said it is today that I can throw 90 meters. The wind helps and the weather is a bit hot and that helps. I also told Julian that we can throw 90m. I am also happy for him (Julian).
“I believe that in the coming events I can throw further than this. We will work on some aspects and throw 90m plus again this season,” he added.
The other Indian in the fight, Kishore Jena finished eighth in an 11-man field with an under-par throw of 78.60 m.
Reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem (92.97 m) from Pakistan and Chao-Tsun Cheng (91.36 m) of Chinese Taipei are the other two Asians who have break through the coveted brand.
Chopra started the game with a throw of 88.44m, followed by a dirty attempt. He then sent his spear past the elusive 90m Mark to the collective sigh of relief of the entire country. His next three series were 80.56m, wrong and 88.20 m.
He participated for the first time in the Doha DL in 2018 when he finished fourth with a best throw of 87.43m.
After winning gold in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, he took the title here in 2023 (88.67 m) and finished second in 2024 (88.36 m).
In the 3000m steeplecha of the women, Parul Chaudary improved with a time of 9 minutes and 13.39 seconds to end a credit sixth in a field of 13 competitors. Her earlier national record time was 9: 15.31.
The national record holder Gulveer Singh finished ninth in the 5000m race for men and clocked 13 minutes and 24.32 seconds. His national record is 12: 59.77.
This was the first time that four Indians participated in the prestigious DL event.
In the last almost five years, Chopra has been asked several times if he would violate the 90m mark. He answered those questions on Friday through his spear, although he had said many times before that the result is more important than the 90m figure.
His performance came six months after he had joined Zelezny in November last year, although he said they only started working in February of this year. Zelezny’s Humongous World Record has been on 98.48m since 1996.
Chopra, who made the knot with tennis player Himani Mor in January, will then participate in the 71st Orlen Janusz Kusociński Memorial Event in Chorzow, Poland, on 23 May, where he will be confronted against Weber and Peters again, alongside other top competitions.
Chopra is also ready to compete at the Golden Spike 2025 Athletics Meet in Ostrava, the Czech Republic on 24 June, hoping to be lucky the third time after he has withdrawn the last two editions due to injuries.
The Doha been is the third of the DL series and the first in which the spear of men stands on the Roster.
The Wanda Diamond League is an elite one -day meeting series in Global Athletics. It consists of 15 of the most prestigious events in Global Track and Field.
Athletes compete for points on the 14-series meetings in an attempt to qualify for the two-day DL final, which will be held in Zurich this year on 27 and 28 August.
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Published on May 17, 2025
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