Luiz Mauricio from Brazil surpasses Neeraj Chopra with a throw of 91 metres

Brazilian javelin thrower Luiz Maurício da Silva surpassed Neeraj Chopra to achieve the second-best mark of the year, with an attempt of 91m at the 2025 Brazilian Athletics Trophy in São Paulo on Sunday.

Luiz turned heads with his first throw itself — his personal best of 90.68 mm surpassing his previous record of 86.62m — and then improved on it to win the title. The throw was way above his competitors, with the second-placed Pedro Henrique Nunes throwing 10 metres short.

“I still don’t know how to describe what that event was like. I always aimed to reach 90 meters, because you always see throwers throwing far, but few go above that mark. It’s a select group that achieved this feat,” Luiz said after the win.

Neeraj had thrown his personal best — a national record — of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League earlier this year, climbing to second in the standings.

However, Luiz’s throw surpassed that comfortably, putting Brazil on the map with an athlete having breached the 90m mark.

“It’s historic, and being able to do it in Brazil carries even more weight. Being here at the Trophy and throwing 90 meters in Brazil. It’s really cool to be part of the history books,” Luiz added.

The attempt also propelled Luiz into the top 20 throws of all time. In the 2025 season, he is second only to Julian Weber, the winner of the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 91.06m.

At the Paris 2024 Games, Luiz’s throw would have earned him a silver medal. However, the 25-year-old, the first Brazilian to reach an Olympic men’s final in the javelin, had finished 11th then, with an attempt of 80.67m — something he has moved on from quite well.

“In one year, I’ve already improved my personal best five times. It’s been a very good run, an incredible year for me. Let’s see what happens in the next chapters,” Luiz added.