Neeraj finally breaches 90m but finishes 2nd in Doha DL in 'bitter-sweet' contest

Celebrated Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breached the elusive 90m frontier with a 90.23m throw but the trailblazing Indian had to settle for a second place behind Germany's Julian Weber in a dramatic men's javelin contest at the Doha leg of the prestigious Diamond League Meeting series in Doha on Friday, 16 May.

The 27-year-old double Olympic medallist Indian sent his spear 90.23m in his third attempt to join a list of javelin throwers, led by his current coach Jan Zelezny of Czechia, who had recorded 90m-plus efforts. He became the third Asian and 25th overall to achieve the feat.

However, Weber turned the tables and took the top spot with his sixth and final throw, measuring 91.06m. Chopra was leading before Weber's final attempt.

It was the German's first 90m-plus effort as well, and he became the 26th javelin thrower to breach the coveted mark. His effort was the world leading mark this season so far.

Two-time world champion and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada was third with his opening throw of 84.65m.

"Many had doubts if I can cross 90m. I believe I can do even more" - Man with a Golden Arm #NeerajChopra 💪 pic.twitter.com/YxSzbG4R8v

— Alpaca Girl🇮🇳 (@Alpakanya) May 16, 2025

"I am very happy to have breached the 90m mark but it's a bitter-sweet experience," Chopra, whose earlier personal best and national record was 89.94m, said later.

"My coach Jan Zelezny said today is the day when I can throw 90m. The wind helps and the weather is a little warm and that helps. I also told Julian that we can throw 90m. I am also happy for him (Julian).

"I believe I can throw farther than this in the coming events. We will work on some aspects and will throw 90m plus again this season," he added.

The other Indian in the fray, Kishore Jena finished eighth in an 11-man field with a below-par throw of 78.60m.

Reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem (92.97m) of Pakistan and Chao-Tsun Cheng (91.36m) of Chinese Taipei are the two other Asians to have breached the coveted mark.

Chopra began the contest with a throw of 88.44m, followed by a foul attempt. He then sent his spear past the elusive 90m mark to the collective sigh of relief of the whole country. His next three series were 80.56m, foul and 88.20m.

He first competed in the Doha DL in 2018 when he finished fourth with a best throw of 87.43m.

After winning gold in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he took the title here in 2023 (88.67m) and finished second in 2024 (88.36m).

In the women's 3000m steeplechase, Parul Chaudhary improved upon her own national record with a time of 9 minutes and 13.39 seconds to finish a creditable sixth in a field of 13 competitors. Her earlier national record time was 9:15.31.

National record holder Gulveer Singh finished ninth in the men's 5000m race, clocking 13 minutes and 24.32 seconds. His national record stands at 12:59.77.

This was the first time four Indians are competing in the prestigious DL event.

For the last nearly five years, Chopra has been asked several times when he would breach the 90m mark. He answered those questions on Friday through his spear, though he had said many times earlier that the result is more important than the 90m mark.

His feat came six months after joining hands with Zelezny in November last year though he said they started working together only in February this year. Zelezny's humongous world record stands at 98.48m since 1996.

Chopra, who tied the knot with tennis player Himani Mor in January, will next compete in the 71st ORLEN Janusz Kusociński Memorial event in Chorzow, Poland, on 23 May, where he will face Weber and Peters again, besides other top competitors.

Chopra is also set to compete at the Golden Spike 2025 athletics meet in Ostrava, Czechia on 24 June, hoping to be third time lucky after pulling out of the last two editions due to injuries.

The Doha leg is the third of the DL series and the first in which men's javelin is on the roster.

The Wanda Diamond League is an elite one-day meeting series in global athletics. It comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field.

Athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day DL Finale, which will be held in Zurich on 27 and 28 August this year.

Pure Indian Diamond Neeraj Chopra joins the 90M 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁 🔥 👏 🇮🇳#NeerajChopra | #SportswithAdhiraj
pic.twitter.com/zo9jatE2XN

— Adhirajsinh Jadeja AJ 🇮🇳 (@AdhirajHJadeja) May 16, 2025