Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88.67m on Friday. Though Chopra missed the 90m mark, his performance was enough to secure a top finish and begin his title defence in style. Jakub Vadlejch finished second with a throw of 88.63m, while reigning world champion Anderson Peters finished third with a modest best throw of 85.88m. Chopra’s winning throw came in his first attempt and he maintained the lead throughout the event. This was his second appearance at the Qatar Sports Club and he had won silver in the same event last year with a throw of 90.88m. Chopra had also won the 2022 Diamond League Final trophy in Switzerland in September last year.
In his subsequent attempts, Chopra sent the spear to 86.04m and then to 85.47m before fouling his throw in the fourth. He managed 84.37m and 85.62m in his fifth and sixth attempts. The 25-year-old is an Olympic gold medallist and threw a world leading and fourth career-best effort to finish ahead of Vadlejch and Peters. Vadlejch had won silver in the Tokyo Olympics as well.
The Doha Diamond League was held at the Qatar Sports Club and Chopra’s performance has set the tone for his upcoming events. He will now look to continue his form in the upcoming competitions and maintain his position as one of India’s leading athletes.
