Neeraj Chopra finally breaks the barrier in season opener with a 90.23m throw

You know they say, ‘Throwers have no finishing line’.” Two years ago, Neeraj Chopra had responded to a question after winning gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with this disarming gem. That Aug 2023 day, Neeraj had become champion of the world with a throw of 88.17m. Already the reigning Olympic champion then, now just crowned world champion – the first Indian ever to do both -- the question on everybody’s minds back then was what next remained to be conquered. When would he scale Peak 90m?

The two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion realised his long-standing dream on Friday evening breaching the elusive 90m for the first time in his career, with a monstrous 90.23m throw in his third attempt at the Diamond League in Doha.

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The disappointment of the Paris Olympics, where he was edged out by a dominant Arshad Nadeem, apart, the recent statements on social media where he clarified himself with typical startling clarity, it was a new, sleek Neeraj who took the runway on Friday, where his spear soared in the breeze, wobbling past the 80, 85m fly zones to go past 90m, and finally settle at 90.23.

Suddenly, the new question on everybody’s minds and lips was: “What’s left for Neeraj Chopra to achieve now? Massive relief manifest in his hugging all his competitors in Doha, Neeraj would have stopped and replied, “You know they say, ‘Throwers have no finishing line…” Before his historic throw, Neeraj’s personal best (PB) stood at 89.94m, which the 27-year-old from Haryana’s Panipat had achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League meet on June 30, 2022.

Neeraj had long been looking to break the 90m mark and had often spoken about the pressure it entailed during his competitions internationally.

The effort seemed all the more special as Neeraj was able to achieve it in front of his child -hood idol and now coach, Czech javelin legend Jan Zelezny , who has been working with the Indian since Nov last year.

It was Neeraj’s first competitive outing under Zelezny – a three-time Olympic and World champion and the cur -rent world record holder. To achieve the 90m-mark, Neeraj had parted ways with German biomechanics expert Dr Klaus Bartonietz, who had been coaching him since 2019.