On Friday, Neeraj Chopra won the Diamond League event in Doha, Qatar, with a world-leading throw of 88.67 meters. Though he fell short of the desirable 90m mark at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Neeraj Chopra will be encouraged by his triumph over world champion Anderson Peters and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic.
Neeraj Chopra would have fancied himself to break the 90m barrier after opening with 88.67m. Neeraj Chopra entered the competition after Peters began the competition with a throw of 85.88m, which instantly placed the field under pressure.
Chopra’s series consisted of 88.67m, 86.04m, 85.47m, foul, 84.37m, and 86.52m. Valdejch, who had the season’s best throw before Chopra, kept everyone guessing with throws of 88.63m and 88.47m to finish second. Peters finished third with a throw of 85.88m.
Neeraj Chopra, 25, will go into the World Championships (August) and Asian Games (September) with confidence after winning his first match of the season against a strong field.
Chopra had expressed confidence in breaking the 90m barrier before the Doha event. He crossed 89m in three contests last year but fell agonizingly short each time. When he set a personal best of 89.94m in Stockholm, it seemed only a matter of time before he broke the record.
But it was his incredible consistency that set him apart from the rest of the pack. In five of the six tournaments, he regularly exceeded 88m. He won silver at the world championships in Eugene with a comparable huge throw of 88.13m and the Diamond League title for the first time with an 88.14m toss. He’s similarly started the season.
Chopra wished on the eve of his season-opening tournament in Doha that he could break the 90m barrier and end the discussion once and for all. Last year, Peters and Vadlejch broke the 90m barrier in Doha. He did, however, state that he would be cautious not to damage himself. Chopra learned a lot at the world championships, when he kept pushing himself to the end and strained his groin, forcing him to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“I felt a lot of pain after that fourth throw at the world championships, but I couldn’t stop myself.” “Perhaps I should have stopped there,” he had suggested. “We have a long season this year.” The goal is to avoid injuries and have a healthy season. “Injury na aaye, Bas,” he added.
The Diamond League will also be a major event for Chopra, and given the importance he places on the high-profile event, he will be looking to go all out in other Diamond League meets, including Lausanne (June 30), Monaco (July 21), and Zurich (August 31), before the series concludes on September 16 at Hayward Field in Eugene. Each meet pays $10,000 in prize money to the victors, with the champion receiving $30,000.
Neeraj Chopra stated before the start of the season that he was in better physical and mental shape than at the start of the previous season. “Last year, I got close (90m),” he remarked. “I’m not overconfident, but if you’re feeling good, say it.” I’m feeling well, I’ve been training hard, and I’m confident that it (the 90m) will happen this time.”
He has been training abroad in preparation for the upcoming season. Neeraj Chopra trained at the end of last year at the UK’s Loughborough University, then proceeded to Potchefstroom, South Africa, and the Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya, Turkey, with coach Klaus Bartonietz and physio Ishaan Marwaha by his side. He worked on his endurance, stamina, and throwing strength. All of your efforts paid off in Doha.
Eldhose Paul, a triple jumper and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, was also participating in Doha. He finished 10th with a leap of 15.84m, far short of his personal best of 16.99m. Paul returned from a heel injury with three leaps of 15.84m, 13.65m, and 14.70m. Olympic and world championship gold medalist Pedro Pichardo won with a jump of 17.91m, Olympic silver medalist Hugues Fabrice of Burkina Faso took silver (17.81m), and Andy Hernandez Diaz of Cuba took bronze (17.80m).
