After breaching elusive 90m barrier, Javelin ace Neeraj Chopra aims for greater heights in Poland

Last week in Doha, Neeraj Chopra finally broke through the coveted 90m barrier, and now he’s setting his sights on an even bigger throw at the ORLEN Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet in Chorzow, Poland this Friday. At the Doha Diamond League, Chopra launched his javelin to an impressive 90.23m, but he had to settle for second place as Germany's Julian Weber stole the spotlight with a last-minute throw of 91.06m, marking Weber's first-ever 90m throw.

Weber, who was the European champion in 2022 and snagged a silver medal in 2024, will also be competing in Poland, alongside Grenada's two-time world champion Anderson Peters, who has a personal best of 93.07m and finished third in Doha with a throw of 84m.

The competition will also feature Polish national record holder Marcin Krukowski (PB: 89.55m), along with his fellow countrymen Cyprian Mrzyglod (PB: 84.97m) and Dawid Wegner (PB: 82.21m), Moldova's Andrian Mardare (86.66m), and Ukraine's Artur Felfner (PB: 84.32m), rounding out the eight-man field.

Since surpassing 88m in 2018, the 90m mark has been a goal for the 27-year-old Chopra. Now that he’s finally cleared that hurdle, he expressed his relief, stating, "It was just the beginning," and he’s eager to push for even greater distances as the season unfolds.

The highlight of the season will be the World Championships in Tokyo this September, where he’ll be defending his title.

Chopra is no longer hindered by the groin issues that plagued him in recent years, and he’s feeling more confident than ever after teaming up with the legendary Jan Zelezny, who holds the world record for the longest throw.

"I and my coach are still working on some aspects of my throw. I am still learning things. We started working together only in February this year," Chopra had said in Doha.

"So I believe I can have more 90m throws and I can throw farther distances in the upcoming events this year till the World Championships.

"I was always feeling something in my groin in the last few years. I did not give my best because of that. This year I feel much better."

The upcoming event in Poland marks the third competition of the season for Chopra. He kicked things off in South Africa at the Potch Invitational Track event—a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger competition—held in Potchefstroom on April 16, where he clinched first place with a solid throw of 84.52m.

Following this, Chopra is gearing up for the Golden Spike 2025 athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, scheduled for June 24. He’s hoping for a bit of luck this time around, especially after having to withdraw from the last two editions due to injuries.

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