Reigning Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to kick off his season at the prestigious Diamond League series in Doha on May 10. The 26-year-old Indian, who won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, is aiming to defend his Olympic title in Paris later this year.
Chopra will face a star-studded field in Doha, including his well-known rivals Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic and Anderson Peters of Grenada. Vadlejch won silver in the Tokyo Olympics and bronze in the 2023 World Championships, while Peters is a former world champion and holds the fifth-longest throw in history (93.07m).
Chopra’s compatriot Kishore Jena, who finished fifth in the 2023 Budapest World Championships and won silver in Hangzhou with a personal best of 87.54m, will also make his Diamond League debut in Doha.
Chopra is eager to start his season strongly and is targeting a throw of over 90m. “This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title, but it would also mean a lot to me to break the 90m barrier,” he said. “The Doha Meeting, with good conditions and a great atmosphere, is a perfect opportunity to get my season off to the best start.”
The javelin event has become increasingly competitive in recent years, with several athletes capable of throwing over 90m. Chopra’s continued excellence has raised the bar for Indian athletes, and he is confident that India is making progress as a nation in the sport.
“Last year my dream was to win the World Championships, but to have three Indian athletes competing in the final – that shows we’re progressing as a nation,” he said.
The Doha Meeting is the third meeting of the 2024 Diamond League series, which comprises 15 legs in total across four different continents. The first two meetings in Xiamen and Shanghai do not have men’s javelin throw as a Diamond League event.
