Ostrava (Czech Republic), June 25 — India’s javelin ace and reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra clinched the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw at the prestigious 64th Ostrava Golden Spike, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold Level), on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old star athlete secured the top spot with an impressive third-attempt throw of 85.29 meters. South Africa’s Douw Smit finished second with a throw of 84.12 meters, while Anderson Peters of Grenada claimed third place with 83.63 meters.
This marks Neeraj’s third title win of the current season. He began the event with a foul throw, followed by 83.45 meters in his second attempt. His best throw came in the third round, after which his subsequent attempts measured 82.17m, 81.01m, and a final foul.
Earlier in the season, Neeraj kicked off his campaign with a victory at an invitational meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he registered a throw of 84.52 meters. He later made headlines at the Doha Diamond League, where he breached the 90-meter mark for the first time in his career, throwing 90.23 meters. However, he was narrowly beaten by Germany’s Julian Weber, who threw 91.06 meters.
At the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzow, Poland, Neeraj again finished second with a throw of 84.14 meters, as Weber led with 86.12 meters. Neeraj bounced back at the Paris Diamond League, defeating Weber with a commanding 88.16-meter throw on his very first attempt to win the title.
Neeraj Chopra is next set to compete at the Neeraj Chopra Classic on July 5 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. This will be the first-ever international javelin event held in India. The event is being jointly organized by Neeraj Chopra, JSW Sports, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), and World Athletics (WA), and is expected to be the most high-profile athletics meet hosted in the country to date.
