Doha Diamond League 2025: Neeraj Chopra shatters long-awaited 90m-barrier but finishes second

India’s Neeraj Chopra secured the second position in the men’s javelin throw event at the Doha Diamond League 2025, exceeding the long-anticipated 90m-mark on Friday. Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra initiated his series at the Qatar Sports Club with a world-best throw of 88.44m.

The current world champion fouled his second throw but launched the javelin 90.23m to break the Indian national record with his third throw. His former personal record was 89.94m set at the Stockholm Diamond League two years ago. In reality, the Indian star achieved six throws within the 89m range.

“It is a little bit bittersweet result,” Neeraj said. “I am very happy for the 90m, but this second place – it actually happened to me also when I competed in Turku and in Stockholm. I threw 89.94 and I was always second. And also here. I broke the national record and got second.”

Neeraj Chopra has been preparing for the 2025 season by training with Jan Železný, who is considered the finest javelin thrower in modern history. The iconic Czech athlete holds the javelin world record with a throw of 98.48m, achieved in 1996.

Indeed, Zelezny holds five of the top 10 throws documented in men’s javelin in its present format.

“I feel very good that Jan Zelezny is my coach now,” Neeraj said. “We still work on few points and still learning some things. Normally, he does not go to the Diamond Leagues but he came with me because he told me that today is the day to achieve 90m.”

Neeraj is the 25th man in history to surpass the 90m mark in the javelin throw and his effort is the third-best by an Asian after Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (92.97m) and Chinese Taipei’s Chao-Tsun Cheng (91.36m).

However, it was Germany’s Julian Weber who toppled Neeraj off the perch in the Doha standings with a personal best of 91.06m with his final throw of the evening.

“I am very happy also for Julian Weber,” Neeraj said. “He threw 91 so we both broke 90m for the first time today. We have been tying this for so many years, so finally, we managed to get it.

“It it was just a first competition of the year so I am confident that at the next competitions, I will throw far. I was very confident today and I expected Julian to get a massive throw as he was very consistent with his attempts.

“I told him that today is the day when we both can break the 90m mark. It is like a boost for us and we will go far also next time,” the Indian ace added,

Former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who beat Neeraj by 1cm to win the Doha Diamond League in 2024, finished third with 85.64m.