Neeraj Chopra Crosses 90m Mark, Finishes Second in Doha Diamond League 2025

In a landmark moment for Indian athletics, Neeraj Chopra breached the 90m mark for the first time in his career at the Doha leg of the 2025 Diamond League held on May 16. With a throw of 90.23m, Chopra became the first Indian and only the third Asian to achieve this feat in men’s javelin. However, despite leading for most of the competition, Chopra was overtaken in the final round by Germany’s Julian Weber, who clinched first place with a throw of 91.06m.

Why in News?

Neeraj Chopra, India’s javelin star and Olympic gold medallist, threw 90.23m in the Doha Diamond League 2025—crossing the much-anticipated 90m milestone for the first time. This is a significant milestone in Indian athletics history, even though Chopra finished second to Julian Weber of Germany, who produced a world-leading throw of 91.06m in his final attempt.

Key Highlights

• Event: Doha Diamond League, May 16, 2025
• Neeraj Chopra’s best throw: 90.23m (3rd attempt)
• Position: 2nd place
• Winner: Julian Weber (Germany) – 91.06m (6th attempt, world-leading throw)
• 3rd Place: Anderson Peters (Grenada) – 84.65m
• Other Indian Participant: Kishore Jena – 78.60m (8th place)

Background & Context

• Neeraj Chopra had been chasing the 90m mark since his breakthrough Olympic win in 2021.
• His previous best was 89.94m.

He has consistently performed in the Diamond League

• 2023 Doha DL – 1st place (88.67m)
• 2024 Doha DL – 2nd place (88.36m)
• 2025 Doha DL – 2nd place (90.23m)

Significance

• Historic Moment: Chopra is now the 3rd Asian and 25th javelin thrower ever to breach the 90m mark.
• Coach’s Role: His coach Jan Zelezny, a javelin legend, had predicted Chopra would cross 90m in this event.
• Technical Excellence: Neeraj opened with 88.44m, then fouled, followed by his best (90.23m), and three more throws—80.56m, foul, and 88.20m.
• Future Outlook: Chopra believes he can go further in upcoming meets, aiming for consistent 90m+ throws.