Julian Weber wins javelin throw in Doha Diamond League 2025 with 91.06m throw, bests Neeraj Chopra’s 90.23m

India javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday registered his first ever 90m effort during the ongoing Doha Diamond League, but his attempt still wasn’t enough as Julian Weber got 91.06m off his last throw of the competition.

Neeraj hurled the spear a mammoth 90.23m away to better the National Record of 89.94m, one that the double Olympic medallist himself had set at the Stockholm DL in 2022.

READ: Neeraj Chopra crosses 90m: What is the men’s javelin throw world record? Full list of highest throws

“It is a little bit bittersweet result. I am very happy for the 90m, but this second place – it actually happened to me also when I competed in Turku and in Stockholm. I threw 89.94 and I was always second,” Neeraj said after the event.

“But I am very happy also for Julian (Weber). He threw 91, so we both broke 90m for the first time today. We have been trying this for so many years, so finally, we managed to get it. It was just the first competition of the year, so I am confident that at the next competitions, I will throw far,” he added.

At the Qatar Sports Complex, he registered an 88.44m throw off his very first attempt to immediately move into the World Lead. However, he also got a ‘No throw’ against his name off his second attempt in his first competition this season.

India’s Neeraj Chopra in action.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari

After throws worth 80.56 and 88.20, just when it seemed Neeraj was comfortably ahead of everyone in the event, Weber ran in and registered his Personal Best to pip the Indian.

Meanwhile, Kishore Jena, the other Indian in the fray, started with a disappointing throw of 68.07m. He could only better the mark to 78.60m.