Daijiworld Media Network – Doha

Doha, May 17: It was a historic yet ‘bitter-sweet’ moment for Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra, who finally breached the elusive 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League but had to settle for second place behind Germany’s Julian Weber.

The 27-year-old Olympic gold medallist, battling groin injuries in recent years, looked in fine form as he registered a career-best throw of 90.23m in his third attempt. With this, Chopra became the third Asian and 25th athlete overall to cross the prestigious 90m threshold a milestone long awaited in his career.

However, in a dramatic final round, Weber stunned the field with a massive 91.06m throw, snatching the win and pushing Chopra to second. “It’s a little bit of a bitter-sweet experience,” Chopra said, reflecting on the result.

Chopra, now under the guidance of Czech legend and world record holder Jan Zelezny since February, credited his coach and Doha’s favorable conditions for the big throw. “My coach told me during warm-up that today is the day. After the 90m throw, he said I can go 2-3m more,” Chopra added, optimistic about further improvement this season.

The Indian star, who had been struggling with groin discomfort, said he now feels physically better and is eyeing bigger throws ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo this September.
“I am still learning things. I believe I can throw more than 90m in upcoming events,” Chopra noted.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Chopra has finished runner-up after a record effort — similar instances occurred in Turku and Stockholm as well.

Julian Weber, who also crossed 90m for the first time, praised the friendly rivalry with Chopra. “We have been chasing 90m for years and both achieved it today. It was special,” Weber said after setting the season’s best with his final throw.

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada took third place with 84.65m.

With the season just beginning, all eyes are now on Chopra and Weber as they push each other towards even greater distances.