Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra finally opened his outdoor season in spectacular fashion at the Diamond League event in Doha on Friday. Despite the strong competition, the Indian star put up a brilliant show in the men's javelin throw, finishing second.
In a scintillating finish, Chopra dug deep into his reservoir of courage and determination to produce his best show in the sixth and final attempt. He hurled the spear to a distance of 88.36m, narrowly missing the gold medal by 0.2m. Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic took the gold with 88.38m.
The 27-year-old Chopra was one of the big stars of the 2024 Diamond League season, but the talented athlete began his campaign with a foul on his first throw. However, he recovered well, improving with each successive throw: 84.93m and 86.24m.
Though challenged all the way, even throws of 86.18m and 82.28m, Chopra refused to back down and produced something special when it mattered the most. He sent the spear flying for 88.36m, just a whisker away from his personal best of 89.94m.
Before fouling the fifth and sixth opportunities, Jakub Vadlejch made his highest throw of 88.38 in his third round.
With a subpar performance of 76.31, Kishore Kumar Jena, the only Indian competitor, came in ninth place out of ten. He scored 75.72 on his first throw, fouled on his second, and finished the tournament with a 76.31-meter effort.
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