A week after Neeraj Chopra breached the much-awaited 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League 2025, where he finished second to Germany’s Julien Weber, the Indian javelin star took the field once again on Friday, at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial 2025 Athletics Meet in Chorzow, Poland.
The ace javelin thrower finished second, once again behind Germany’s Julian Weber, with a throw of 84.14m in his sixth attempt. Weber registered 86.12m in his second throw.
The line from commentator Andy Gray — “Can Messi do it on a cold night in Stoke?” — echoed in many minds as Chopra stepped up for his first throw, which he deliberately fouled by stepping out of the line, as it barely touched the 80m mark.
A quick Google check at the time of the event showed it was about 14°C, partly cloudy, with winds at 8–10 km/hr. Fairly tough conditions for javelin. Chopra was seen wearing a heavy pullover.
His second throw reached 81.28m, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters edged ahead with 81.48m in his second attempt.
Back-to-back third and fourth throws were deliberately fouled by Chopra, who was visibly unhappy with his efforts. A slight improvement came in the fifth attempt, which measured 81.80m.
As has happened several times in the past, Chopra saved his best for last. His sixth and final throw landed at 84.14m, moving him above Peters in the tally and helping him avoid a third-place finish — something quite unlike him.
It was a tournament that Chopra’s current coach, Jan Železný, would have several fond memories of. Back in the 1994 edition of the meet, the Czech legend set the event record with a throw of 91.50m. Now, 31 years later, Chopra, under Železný’s guidance and just a week after creating a national record and personal best in Doha, finished second on a cold evening in Chorzow.
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