India’s Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time in his career at the Doha Diamond League on Friday. His best throw of 90.23 metres came in the third attempt, making him the first Indian javelin thrower to breach the historic mark. Chopra started strong, taking the lead with his first throw of 88.44 metres. His second attempt was a foul, but he bounced back in style with a record-breaking third throw of 90.23 metres. He remained in the lead throughout the competition. The Doha event marked Chopra’s season opener and his first major competition under new coach Jan Železný, a three-time Olympic champion and javelin world record holder. Chopra outperformed a strong field that included world-class throwers like Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia and Anderson Peters of Grenada. Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem did not compete, as he is preparing for the Asian Athletics Championships. With the postpobment of the NC Classic 2025 in Bengaluru, this was Chopra’s only big meet this month. His performance has set the tone for a promising season ahead.

Chopra’s previous personal best was 89.94 metres. He now joins an elite list of javelin throwers worldwide to cross the 90m mark.