Neeraj Chopra Takes Ostrava Title, But Expresses Disappointment with 85.29m Throw

Chopra Claims Ostrava Golden Spike Title, But Seeks Improvement

Neeraj Chopra secured the Golden Spike title at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event on Tuesday, achieving a best throw of 85.29m. Despite the victory, the Olympic champion expressed a desire for better performance in his first appearance at the meet.

Chopra led the field of nine athletes with his third-round throw. His initial attempt resulted in a foul, followed by a throw of 83.45m in the second round.

"I am not that happy with my performance today, but I am very happy with the trophy I won," Chopra stated. "I used to watch this meeting a lot as a kid. I watched people like Jan Zelezny and Usain Bolt winning the Golden Spike, and I dreamt of winning one as well. Now the dream has come true," the two-time Olympic medalist added.

His subsequent throws measured 82.17m and 81.01m, with a foul concluding his final round. "Javelin throw is very popular in Czechia," Chopra noted. "The amount of support we were getting from the crowd was crazy. I just wish I could have performed better for them." He had previously surpassed the 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League in May, where he finished second.

The 27-year-old athlete has demonstrated consistent form this season, highlighted by his Diamond League victory in Paris just prior to the Golden Spike meet. Chopra's next competition is scheduled for July 5 at the NC Classic in Bengaluru, where he will compete against Anderson Peters and Thomas Rohler.

Despite not meeting his own expectations, particularly in front of a large audience, Chopra's performance was sufficient to secure the coveted Golden Spike title.