Neeraj Chopra’s World Lead 88.67m throw, global domination at Doha Diamond League

Neeraj Chopra, the renowned Indian javelin thrower, began the year on a high note by winning the Doha Diamond League championship on Saturday night. He secured the title with his first throw of the evening, which measured 88.67 meters, making it the longest throw of the year so far. In a competition that featured several high-profile athletes, including world champion Anderson Peters and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jakub Valdejch, Chopra emerged victorious.

Peters from Grenada started off the competition with a throw of 85.88, and then Neeraj followed with his World Lead throw. In the second attempt, Valdejch from Czech Republic came closest to Neeraj with a throw that fell short by only 0.04m.

Neeraj Chopra was not able to reach the 90m mark and appeared dissatisfied with his initial attempt, which suggested what was to come. Prior to the Doha competition, Neeraj had stated his intention to surpass the 90m milestone.

Neeraj Chopra expressed during a media interaction that he had been asked about breaching the 90m mark since 2018. He also stated that he was very close to the mark last season, but the mid-season injury might have been a reason why he couldn’t achieve it. Neeraj stated that he has the belief that he will cross the 90m mark this season, but he is not overconfident about it.

Valdejch secured the second spot in the Doha Diamond League thanks to his second attempt, while Anderson Peters finished third with his first attempt throw of 85.88. Neeraj Chopra, who won the title with his throw of 88.67, will next compete at the Lausanne Diamond League on June 30, followed by Monaco on July 21, Zurich on August 31, and finally at the finale at Hayward Field in Eugene on September 16.

Eldhose Paul, the only other Indian athlete at the Doha meet on Friday, did not perform well in the triple jump event. He finished well below his personal best of 16.99m and recorded a distance of only 15.84m.