Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic gold medalist and world champion in javelin throw, achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first Indian athlete to surpass the 90-meter mark in this sport during the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
Despite his impressive performance, Chopra could not clinch the top position, as Germany's Julian Weber delivered an outstanding throw that secured him the victory.
Chopra initially led the competition, achieving a remarkable throw of 90.23 meters, which not only set a new personal best but also broke his previous national record.
In a thrilling final round, Weber's throw of 91.06 meters pushed Chopra to second place, while Grenada's Anderson Peters finished third with a throw of 85.64 meters.
Event Highlights
Chopra's journey began with a strong start, launching an 88.44-meter throw, placing him ahead of Peters and Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott, who threw 84.65 meters.
Although his second throw was a foul, Chopra maintained his lead, while Weber secured third place with a throw of 85.57 meters.
Chopra's third throw marked a significant moment as he crossed the coveted 90-meter threshold, improving upon his previous record of 89.94 meters set during the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022.
In his subsequent attempts, Chopra recorded a throw of 80.56 meters, followed by another foul, yet he remained in contention for the lead.
Ultimately, Weber's final throw of 91.06 meters surpassed Chopra's last attempt of 88.20 meters, resulting in Chopra finishing in second place.
Social Media Reactions
Social media erupted with excitement as fans celebrated Chopra's historic achievement. One tweet read, "Neeraj Chopra joins the 90M CLUB 🔥 👏 🇮🇳 with a throw of 90.23 at the Doha Diamond League! #NeerajChopra".
"The wait is over! Neeraj Chopra finally breaches the 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League, launching a career-best throw of 90.23m! #DohaDL"
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