“Not just for me, but at least for Indians, the burden has been reduced.” These were the words of Neeraj Chopra when he was finally able to break the 90-metre mark at the Doha Diamond League in May this year. It was a dragon that Neeraj had been chasing for quite some time after starting his journey in 2018. He came close a few times but was never really able to get over the line. But finally, at the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium, Neeraj was able to hit 90.23 m and get the monkey off his back.
However, that wasn’t enough for him to get the win on the day as Germany’s Julian Weber was able to produce a throw of 91.06 m with his final throw in Doha and claim the top step of the podium. Now, in a stacked card that includes some big names, the 27-year-old will look to go again, with a first title win in mind.
This will be the first time in eight years that Neeraj will compete in a Diamond League event in Paris. He had skipped the event last year to focus on the Paris Olympics, where he finished with a silver medal. The last time he took part was as a junior world champion, and he finished fifth with the best throw of 84.67 m. Since then, the legend of Neeraj has grown, adding an Olympic gold and silver to his name.
