Doha Diamond League: Neeraj Chopra finishes 2nd despite creating history, Julian Weber steals title with mammoth 91.03m throw

The two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra finally breached the elusive 90-metre mark in the men's javelin throw in a historic moment at the Doha Diamond League on May 16. However, his landmark achievement of 90.23 metre was not enough to win the title, as Germany's Julian Weber surpassed him with a mammoth final throw of 91.06 metre.

Making his first appearance of the season, Chopra proved his prowess with his career-best throw of 90.23 metres on his third attempt, ultimately earning him the second-place finish. Weber, who steadily built momentum throughout the competition, snatched victory with his final throw, denying Chopra what would have been a memorable season-opening win.

Chopra began the competition strongly with an 88.40-metre throw, immediately setting a high standard. His second attempt was marked as a foul, but he responded emphatically in the third round with his record-breaking 90.23-metre throw. This effort not only bettered his previous personal best but also improved his own national record of 89.94 metre, set at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. His subsequent throws measured 80.56 meters in the fourth round, another foul in the fifth, and a solid 88.20 metre in his final attempt.

Meanwhile, Julian Weber started with a modest 82.83m throw but progressively climbed up the rankings. His series of throws – 85.57m, 89.06m, 88.05m, and 89.84m – kept him in close contention for the top spot. The dramatic climax came with his final throw, a massive 91.06m, which propelled him to the first position, leaving Chopra in second place.

Earlier in the competition, Chopra briefly held the world lead with his opening throw of 88.44m at the Qatar Sports Complex. Despite his second throw being a foul, the reigning world champion appeared to be in excellent form during his first outing of the season.

India's other participant, Kishore Jena, had a shaky start, registering only 68.07m in his first attempt. He improved to 78.60m in his second throw, which was just enough to secure him the eighth and final qualifying spot for the subsequent rounds. Hanging on by a thread, Jena advanced but was unable to mount a significant challenge for a podium finish.