Neeraj Chopra began his 2025 season with a historic milestone at the Doha Diamond League. The Olympic champion finally crossed the 90-meter mark, a target he had been chasing for years. But despite the landmark throw, it wasn’t enough to clinch gold. During a highly competitive javelin competition, the spotlight was stolen by Germany’s Julian Weber with a last-throw performance of 91.06 meters. Chopra’s personal best throw of 90.23 meters in round three earned him a second finish. This was Chopra’s inaugural competition for the season and the first under his new coach, Jan Zelezny.
A Night of High Drama in Doha
Chopra started the night well, throwing an 88.40-meter effort on his first trial, briefly becoming the world leader. A foul on his next attempt was followed by a personal best 90.23-meter throw on his third. It shattered his earlier national record of 89.94 meters, set in 2022. His later tries were inconsistent: 80.56 meters on his fourth, a foul in the fifth, and 88.20 meters in the last.
Julian Weber, on the other hand, began at 82.83 meters and kept improving steadily. By the time he hurled his last attempt of 91.06 meters, he had already reached the 89-meter barrier twice. That final attempt relegated Choppa to second position. Anderson Peters of Grenada placed third, while Kishore Jena of India finished eighth.
Chopra Enters the 90m Club
Hitting the 90-meter mark was considered a hallmark of great javelin throwers for quite some time. With his 90.23-meter throw, Neeraj Chopra became just the third Asian to achieve that feat, following Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Taiwan’s Chao-Tsun Cheng. He is also now the 25th male thrower in the history of the sport to cross that barrier. The moment was rather subdued celebration than explosive one. Chopra’s response was a mere nod, expressing a combination of relief and calmness. Post this, he recognized the significance of the achievement but was keen on further improvement. He attributed the good weather conditions and guidance from coach Jan Zelezny for making the breakthrough.
Kishore Jena Narrow Entry Into Final Rounds
India’s Kishore Jena had an unpleasant beginning, settling for only 68.07 meters in his opening attempt. He jumped 78.60 meters in his second, just enough to qualify for the top eight. But Jena could not advance further in the subsequent rounds and remained in eighth position. Chopra’s throw might not have helped him claim the title, but it was an important step forward. With more events to come this season, including the Olympics and World Championships, Chopra’s 90-meter throw has paved the way for what is potentially to be an even bigger year.
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