Neeraj Chopra Clinches Golden Spike Title in Ostrava with 85.29m Throw

Neeraj Chopra continued his stellar form on Tuesday, claiming victory at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, with a winning throw of 85.29m in his debut appearance at the event. The win comes just days after his Paris Diamond League triumph, further solidifying his dominance this season.

Chopra began the competition with a foul and registered 83.45m on his second attempt, which initially placed him third. He surged to the lead in the third round with his best throw of the evening — 85.29m — and held onto the top spot. His remaining efforts measured 82.17m and 81.01m, followed by a final-round foul.

South African Douw Smit pushed Chopra with a strong 84.12m in the second round to finish second, while Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters secured third with his opening throw of 83.63m.

India’s Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya lauded the 27-year-old javelin star, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Neeraj does it again! Wins the Ostrava Golden Spike with a stellar 85.29m throw. A true champion who makes the nation proud every single time!”

With Germany’s Julian Weber — Chopra’s key rival this season — missing from the event, Chopra was widely seen as the frontrunner. Despite competing under the watchful eye of his coach Jan Zelezny, who also serves as the Golden Spike’s event director, Chopra admitted he wasn’t at his peak.

The Indian javelin ace had previously missed the last two editions of the Golden Spike due to fitness issues. His coach, Czech legend Jan Zelezny, famously dominated the meet with nine victories between 1986 and 2006.

While this was Chopra’s first appearance at the Golden Spike, he did compete in Ostrava back in 2018 at the IAAF Continental Cup, where he finished sixth with a throw of 80.24m.

Chopra’s 2024 season has been impressive. After finishing second in the Doha Diamond League in May with a personal best over 90m, he bounced back to win in Paris with 88.16m, out-throwing Weber.

Looking ahead, Chopra will next compete at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5 — an event he is hosting. Notably, Anderson Peters and Germany’s Thomas Röhler are expected to participate as well.