Doha Diamond League: Neeraj Chopra Creates History, Throws Javelin Over 90m for the First Time
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India's 'Golden Boy' Neeraj Chopra created history on Friday by throwing the javelin beyond 90 meters for the first time in the Doha Diamond League. He made his personal best by throwing 90.23 meters in his third attempt in the final. Earlier, his best throw was 89.94 meters, which he threw in the Stockholm Diamond League on 30 June 2022.
Despite the best throw, Neeraj Chopra had to settle for the silver medal. Germany's Weber Julian won the gold medal with 91.06 meters. Neeraj was number one till the fifth throw out of six, but Julian overtook him in the sixth and last throw. Let us tell you that the distance of 90 meters was not just a figure, but it had become a challenge for Neeraj Chopra. He had come very close to this figure many times, but every time he was limited to 88 or 89 meters.
Despite winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics and the Budapest World Championships, the question remained whether Neeraj would ever be able to cross 90 meters? Now Neeraj has answered this with full determination. When Neeraj Chopra made this historic throw in the third attempt, the entire ground rejoiced. The role of his new coach Jan Zelezny is also considered important in this performance.
Neeraj recently removed German coach Dr. Klaus Bartonietz and appointed three-time Olympic gold medalist Zelezny (Czech Republic) as his coach. With this throw, Neeraj has now joined the 90 meter club, which already includes players like Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. This achievement is not just a record for Neeraj, but also a huge personal victory.
This was Neeraj's first big event of the season in Doha, where he faced heavyweights like two-time world champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Peters Andersen of Grenada, Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia (2024 Doha winner), Weber Julian and Max Dehning of Germany, Julius Yego of Kenya and Roderick Junkie Dean of Japan. Anderson managed to win the bronze medal with 85.64m.
