Neeraj Chopra made a significant breakthrough on Friday as he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time in his career. Competing in the men’s javelin final at the Doha Diamond League, the 27-year-old recorded a throw of 90.23m in his third attempt, sparking celebration across the stadium.
“The entire crowd roared in jubilation and started applauding.”
However, despite the milestone, Chopra was edged out by Germany’s Julian Weber, who registered a throw of 91.06m in his final attempt, claiming the top spot. This was Weber’s personal best and marked the first time he crossed the 90m mark, making him the 26th athlete to do so.
Anderson Peters of Grenada finished third, while India’s Kishore Jena secured the eighth position.
Chopra opened with a throw of 88.44m. His second attempt was ruled a foul, followed by a fourth attempt of 80.56m. The fifth throw was again a foul, and his last registered at 88.20m.
By crossing 90m, Neeraj became the 25th athlete in men’s javelin history to do so. He also broke his own national record of 89.94m, set at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022.
His 90.23m effort now ranks as the 24th-best throw in men’s javelin history. Notably, Chopra’s coach, Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic, holds the world record with a throw of 98.48m, achieved in 1996.
