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Watch: Neeraj Chopra makes blockbuster return to Diamond League with national record throw of 89.94 m
The 24-year-old, who was making his third appearance since that historic Tokyo Olympics gold, made a stunning 89.94m in his first attempt, which was not just his personal best but also a new national record.
In a matter of just three weeks, India's golden boy Neeraj Chopra shattered his own very national record in men's javelin as he made a stupendous return to the Diamond League, clinching his maiden top-three finish with a record throw which fell short of the 90m mark only by a whisker.
The 24-year-old, who was making his third appearance since that historic Tokyo Olympics gold, made a stunning 89.94m in his first attempt, which was not just his personal best but also a new national record. The throw fell only 6m short of the elite milestone in javelin.
His other throws measured 84.37m, 87.46m, 84.77m, 86.67 and 86.84m. Despite the record attempt, Neeraj finished second in the competition, as Andersen Peters, reigning World Champion, finished top of the podium with a 90.31m throw. It was his second 90m throw this season after a monstrous attempt of 93.07 at the Doha Diamond League.
Last month, Neeraj had scripted national record with an 89.30m throw in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland that helped him finish second in the competition.
Chopra has beaten Peters twice this month -- in Turku where the athlete from Grenada was third and in the Kuortane Games, also in Finland, where the Indian superstar had won gold with a best throw of 86.69m under wet and slippery conditions.
Chopra's first throw had raised hopes of him scripting history of becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League event. Nonetheless, he became the second Indian to finish in top-three in a Diamond League competition after discus thrower Vikas Gowda.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gowda, who retired in 2017, had finished in top-three in a Diamond League event four times in his career. He had finished second in 2012 (New York) and 2014 (Doha) and third in Shanghai and Eugene in 2015.
Chopra was making his first Diamond League appearance in four years after his fourth-place finish in Zurich in August 2018. He has taken part in seven Diamond League meets -- three in 2017 and four in 2018.
(with PTI inputs)
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