Paris Diamond League: After breaking 90m jinx, Neeraj Chopra eyes first win in 2025
"Not just for me, but at least for Indians, the burden has been reduced." These were the words of Neeraj Chopra when he was finally able to break the 90-metre mark at the Doha Diamond League in May this year. It was a dragon that Neeraj had been chasing for quite some time after starting his journey in 2018. He came close a few times but was never really able to get over the line. But finally, at the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium, Neeraj was able to hit 90.23 m and get the monkey off his back.advertisementHowever, that wasn't enough for him to get the win on the day as Germany's Julian Weber was able to produce a throw of 91.06 m with his final throw in Doha and claim the top step of the podium. Now, in a stacked card that includes some big names, the 27-year-old will look to go again, with a first title win in mind.This will be the first time in eight years that Neeraj will compete in a Diamond League event in Paris. He had skipped the event last year to focus on the Paris Olympics, where he finished with a silver medal. The last time he took part was as a junior world champion, and he finished fifth with the best throw of 84.67 m. Since then, the legend of Neeraj has grown, adding an Olympic gold and silver to his name.NEERAJ IN 2025advertisement
Neeraj started his year by winning the Potch Invitational Meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April with a modest throw of 84.52 m. His first Diamond League appearance was in Doha, where he broke the 90-metre jinx and finished second behind Weber. The German upstaged Neeraj once again at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland last month with a throw of 86.12 m.Neeraj was able to hit 84.14m on a wet and tricky evening.The coaching changes he made after the end of last season have worked wonders for Neeraj as Jan Zelezny, the world record holder in javelin, has given him a new perspective to things. Now, the aim is to get that first title in the bag, especially with the Neeraj Chopra Classic in India just a few weeks away.STACKED FIELD IN PARIS However, the Indian star will have his work cut out. The Indian ace will be up against Weber once again, who will form a formidable lineup that will contain the likes of Andersen Peters, Julius Yego and Keshorn Walcott. In fact, out of the eight participants, five have a personal best above 90 metres.Peters achieved the mark in 2022 and has the best personal throw (93.07 m) amongst the eight participants. He also took part in the Doha Diamond League and the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland and finished in the third spot.advertisementThe Paris Diamond League organisers were happy with the star cast for the event and expect Neeraj to be the main attraction of the evening."Few meetings can boast a field of five javelin throwers over 90m. Foremost amongst them is Tokyo Olympic champion and Paris silver medallist Neeraj Chopra of India, who is as powerful as he is consistent," the Paris DL organisers stated in a promotional release for the event.Four days after the Diamond League in Paris, Neeraj will compete at the Golden Spike athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic on June 24. After this comes the inaugural Neeraj Chopra classic on July 4, which the Indian star will be hoping to enter with a title already in his bag.PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE START LIST advertisementNeeraj Chopra - Season Best: 90.23 | Personal Best: 90.23Anderson Peters - Season Best: 85.64 | Personal Best: 93.07Julian Weber - Season Best: 91.06 | Personal Best: 91.06Keshorn Walcott - Season Best: 84.65 | Personal Best: 90.16Julius Yego - Season Best: 83.08 | Personal Best: 92.72Luiz Mauricio da Silva - Season Best: 86.34 | Personal Best: 86.34Andrian Mardare - Season Best: 80.51 | Personal Best: 86.66Remi Rougetet - Season Best: 80.49 | Personal Best: 80.49WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE The men's javelin event at Paris Diamond League will get underway at 1:15 am IST (Saturday). There is no TV coverage of the event in India. Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel will offer live streaming of the event.
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