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Neeraj Chopra wins the Golden Spike meet with his best throw of 85.29m
India's javelin ace Neeraj Chopra extended his purple patch with another podium-topping performance, clinching gold at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava on Tuesday. Competing for the first time at this historic event, Chopra threw 85.29m to seal the title in a nine-man field. Coming off a commanding victory at the Paris Diamond League just days earlier, the Olympic gold medallist proved his consistency with a second consecutive international win. Though not at his peak, Chopra expressed satisfaction with his performance, especially given the competition's significance in the career of his coach Jan Železný, who also served as the event director.
Climbs to top after slow start
Chopra began the contest with a foul and a second-round effort of 83.45m, which placed him third temporarily. He then found his rhythm in the third round, launching the javelin to 85.29m — a throw that would remain unmatched for the rest of the evening. His subsequent attempts measured 82.17m and 81.01m, before ending with another foul.
Competition lacks key rivals
The field in Ostrava was relatively modest in Chopra's absence of top rival Julian Weber, making the Indian the frontrunner on paper. South Africa's Douw Smit finished second with a best of 84.12m, while Grenada's two-time world champion Anderson Peters secured third place with 83.63m. Germany's Rio 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Röhler could only manage 79.18m to finish seventh, continuing his recent struggles.
Železný's legacy adds meaning to win
Coach Železný, who famously won the Golden Spike nine times during his illustrious career, was present at the venue, lending extra motivation to Chopra. The 27-year-old Indian had missed the past two editions due to fitness concerns, but made a statement in his debut appearance at this prestigious meet.
Eyes on Bengaluru next
Chopra's next stop will be the NC Classic in Bengaluru on 5 July, a meet he is hosting. Peters and Röhler are also set to compete, setting the stage for another high-quality showdown in front of home fans.
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