Indian Neeraj Chopra chases Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem's record after joining new club

Dubai: Neeraj Chopra let out a triumphant roar, the javelin still cutting through the Doha air. Moments later, the scoreboard confirmed it: 90.02 metres.

The Indian Olympic champion had done it. He had finally joined the 90-metre club — a mark that defines the best in the sport. Only a handful of men in history have achieved that feat, and Chopra now stands among them.

But this wasn’t just about a number. It was about belief. It was about breaking through a ceiling that had loomed over Indian athletics for decades. And it was about setting the stage for a far bigger chase.

“It is a little bit bittersweet result,” Chopra said after finishing second at the Doha Diamond League behind Germany’s Julian Weber. “I am very happy for the 90m, but this second place — it actually happened to me also when I competed in Turku and Stockholm. I threw 89.94, and I was always second. And also here. I broke the national record and got second today. But I am very happy also for Julian Weber. He threw 91, so we both broke 90m for the first time today. We have been trying this for so many years, so finally, we managed to get it.”

Despite the silver, Chopra’s breakthrough was significant. The mark had long been seen as the gold standard in men’s javelin — a psychological and physical barrier that only a few had ever crossed.

For Chopra, the road to 90 had been frustratingly close. His 89.94m in Stockholm in 2022 had come within a whisper of the line. But injuries and inconsistency stalled his ascent — particularly a recurring groin issue that had quietly hindered his efforts.

“I was always feeling something in my groin in the last few years,” he said. “I did not give my best because of that. This year, I feel much better.”

Watching from the sidelines, with a quiet nod of approval, was Jan Zelezny — Chopra’s coach and the man who still holds the world record in the event.

Zelezny’s mark of 98.48 metres, set in Jena, Germany, in 1996, has endured nearly three decades of technological advancements, evolving techniques, and rising stars.

The Czech legend’s throw came in his third attempt that day — a ferocious effort that left him facedown on the runway. Even before the scoreboard flashed the distance, the gasps from the crowd confirmed it: the world record had been obliterated. In the stands, Zelezny’s wife and children, who had driven with him 350km from their home near Prague, watched history unfold.

Now, Zelezny is guiding another potential record-breaker.

Chopra, who still holds the world Under-20 record with an 86.48m throw in Poland in 2016, is steadily climbing the ranks under his coach’s watch. Saturday’s performance in Doha wasn’t just his personal best — it was a statement. The barrier had finally been broken.

But before Chopra can start chasing 98.48m, he has a more immediate target: Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem.

The Olympic champion threw 92.97 metres in 2024 Paris Games — a distance that now stands as the sixth-longest in the history of the sport.

For Chopra, who has already won Olympic, World and Asian Games gold, the quest is no longer just about medals. It’s about legacy. About pushing limits. About the next 8.5 metres.

The 90m barrier is broken. But with a world record to chase, a rival closing in, and a coach who’s already been to the summit, Neeraj Chopra’s real journey is only just beginning.