New Delhi / Doha, May 2025 — Neeraj Chopra has finally crossed the long-awaited milestone in his javelin career, breaching the 90-metre mark with a throw of 90.23 metres at the Doha Diamond League on Friday night. However, despite the landmark effort, Chopra had to settle for second place, as Germany’s Julian Weber unleashed a stunning 91.06m throw on his final attempt to claim top honors.
Chopra, 27, has long sought to join the elite 90m club and now adds this achievement to his already glittering resume. Three of his four legal attempts on the night crossed 88 metres, demonstrating remarkable consistency and form. Yet, it was Weber who ultimately stole the show with a career-best performance in a thrilling finale.
“It is a little bit of a bittersweet result,” Chopra admitted. “I am very happy for the 90m, but this second place – it actually happened to me in Turku and Stockholm too. I broke the national record and still got second place today.”
Despite the disappointment of narrowly missing out on the win, Chopra praised Weber’s performance: “I am very happy for Julian Weber. He threw 91m, and we both broke the 90m barrier for the first time today. We’ve been trying this for many years, so finally, we managed to get it. It’s only the first competition of the year, so I’m confident I will throw farther in the upcoming meets.”
Chopra began his 2025 season last month with a win at the Potch Invitational Meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he registered a comfortable 84.52m throw without pushing to his limits.
Weber, meanwhile, made a spectacular return to the circuit following a disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics, where his 87.40m effort saw him finish sixth. Reflecting on his Doha triumph, the 30-year-old said:
“I was really happy for Neeraj because he’s been fighting for that 90m throw for some time. It was special for both of us tonight.”
“I don’t know what happened exactly, but everything just felt amazing — the crowd, the atmosphere, my preparation. My physio gave me a great massage before the event, and it all clicked. That last round throw — it came out perfectly.”
The competition sets the tone for an exciting season ahead, with both athletes likely to cross paths again in the build-up to the World Championships and the next Olympic cycle. With their rivalry heating up and both now in the 90m club, fans can expect even more fireworks in the months to come.
