India’s Olympic gold medalist and reigning world champion in javelin, Neeraj Chopra, created history at the Doha Diamond League 2025 by becoming the first Indian athlete to breach the 90-metre mark in javelin throw. The landmark moment came during his third attempt of the evening, registering a phenomenal 90.23 metres.
Although Chopra ultimately finished second in the competition, the historic throw not only broke his personal and national record but also reinforced his position among the global elite in the sport.
Kicking off his 2025 season with confidence, Neeraj Chopra opened his campaign with an impressive first throw of 88.44 metres. This early lead placed him ahead of the pack, with Grenada’s Anderson Peters trailing at 85.64 metres and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott posting 84.65 metres.
Despite a foul in his second attempt, Chopra maintained his lead, with Germany’s Julian Weber inching closer with a best effort of 85.57 metres.
The highlight of the evening came in Chopra’s third throw, where he hurled the javelin to a distance of 90.23 metres—surpassing his previous national record of 89.94 metres, set at the 2022 Stockholm Diamond League.
This throw etched Chopra’s name in the record books once again, marking the first-ever 90m+ throw by an Indian and placing him firmly in the 90m club, a feat achieved by only a select few in the world.
While Chopra held the lead after his record-breaking third throw, Julian Weber remained a strong contender throughout the competition. His third-round throw of 89.06 metres kept the pressure on, keeping the margin tight and the outcome uncertain.
Chopra’s fourth throw fell significantly short at 80.56 metres, and his fifth was ruled a foul. Despite the dip in performance, he entered the final round with the top position still intact.
In a dramatic turn during the final round, Julian Weber delivered a sensational throw of 91.06 metres. This last-minute surge dethroned Chopra from the top spot and handed Weber the gold medal.
Chopra responded with a strong final attempt of 88.20 metres, but it wasn’t enough to reclaim the lead. He settled for a hard-fought second-place finish with a throw that will be remembered as a historic milestone for Indian athletics.
Anderson Peters of Grenada, who threw 85.64 metres earlier in the competition, held on to the third-place finish. Despite no improvement in later rounds, his initial effort proved sufficient for a podium position.
Neeraj Chopra’s 90.23-metre throw is a landmark achievement that marks a new era for Indian track and field sports. While he narrowly missed out on winning the event, the performance has set a high benchmark for the rest of the season and significantly boosts his prospects ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
With this historic throw, Chopra becomes one of the very few athletes to cross the 90m threshold—a distance that has long been considered the benchmark of elite-level javelin throwing.