Neeraj Chopra, India’s two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion, added another feather to his cap. He clinched the men’s Javelin throw title at the 64th Ostrava Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold Level) event, on Tuesday (June 24).
The 27-year-old registered his third win of the season with an impressive third-round throw of 85.29m. South Africa’s Douw Smit (84.12m) and Grenada’s Anderson Peters (83.63m) claimed second and third places, respectively, at the event in Czech Republic.
Neeraj Chopra’s performance in Ostrava
Neeraj Chopra started the with a foul throw, raising eyebrows among fans. However, he bounced back, regained his composure, and registered 83.45m in the second round. He unleashed his winning throw of 85.29m in the third round. He then attempted two more throws of 82.17m and 81.01m. In the sixth round, he committed another foul. However, the winning throw didn’t match his season’s best.
A Season of milestones for Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj’s 2025 season has been remarkable. It started with a win at an invitational meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he threw 84.52m. His standout moment came at the Doha Diamond League, where he shattered his personal best with a 90.23m throw, crossing the coveted 90m mark for the first time. Despite this milestone, he finished second to Germany’s Julian Weber, who threw a world-leading 91.06m.
At the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzow, Poland, Neeraj again finished second (84.14m) to Weber’s 86.12m. However, he turned the tables at the Paris Diamond League, topping the leaderboard with an opening throw of 88.16m to claim victory over Weber.
What is next for Neeraj Chopra?
Neeraj’s next stop is a landmark event in Indian athletics which is scheduled for July 5 at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium. This international javelin competition, a collaboration between Neeraj, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India, and World Athletics, will be India’s highest-tier athletics meet to date.
“I am thrilled to bring world-class competition to India,” Neeraj expressed his excitement for the upcoming event.
