Neeraj Chopra Lands Ostrava Golden Spike Title, Falls Short of Personal Expectations

Chopra Claims Ostrava Golden Spike Title, But Seeks Improvement

Neeraj Chopra secured the Golden Spike title at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event on Tuesday, achieving a best throw of 85.29m. However, the Olympic champion expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, despite winning in his first appearance at the meet.

Leading the field of nine athletes, Chopra's winning throw came in the third round. His initial attempt resulted in a foul, followed by a throw of 83.45m in the second round.

"I am not that happy with my performance today, but I am very happy with the trophy I won," Chopra stated. "I used to watch this meeting a lot as a kid. I watched people like Jan Zelezny and Usain Bolt winning the Golden Spike, and I dreamt of winning one as well. Now the dream has come true," the two-time Olympic medallist added.

His subsequent throws measured 82.17m and 81.01m, with a foul concluding his final round. "Chopra" acknowledged the enthusiastic crowd support in Czechia: "I know the javelin throw is very popular in Czechia. The amount of support we were getting from the crowd was crazy. I just wish I could have performed better for them." He had previously surpassed the 90m mark during his second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League in May.

The 27-year-old athlete has maintained strong form this season, following a Diamond League victory in Paris just days before the Golden Spike meet. Chopra's next competition will be at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where he is set to compete against Anderson Peters and Thomas Rohler.

Despite feeling he could have performed better, particularly in front of the enthusiastic spectators, Chopra's effort was enough to secure the coveted Golden Spike title.