Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra on Tuesday (June 25, 2025) clinched the title at the Golden Spike meet in his maiden appearance. He claimed the top spot in a nine-man field with a modest effort of 85.29m.
The two-time Olympic medallist celebrated the moment by bringing the Golden Spike Trophy to the stands, followed by greetings and autographs for all his fans who had come to cheer him in Ostrava
Neeraj Chopra Wins Ostrava Golden Spike Meet
Neeraj Chopra arrived at the event on the back of winning the Paris Diamond League on June 20. He had a few weeks back had crossed the 90m mark and is hoping to achieve the feat once again.
However he did not have the desired start. Chopra startedwith a foul in his first attempt. He managed 83.45 in his second attempt but made a grand comeback by throwing the spear to 85.29 in his third turn. That gave him the lead with Samit Douw in second position at 84.12m and Anderson Peters in third with 83.63.
Neeraj could not improve his distance in his fourth, fifth, and sixth throws but managed to clinch the top spot. Chopra records a distance of 82.17m in his fourth attempt, and followed that up with a distance of 81.01m in his fifth and deliberately fouled his sixth and last throw as he was not able to execute it properly.
Douw Smit of South Africa, with 84.12m, and Anderson Peters of Granada, with 83.63m, finished second and third, respectively. Chopra had skipped the last two editions of Golden Spike an event that his coach Zelezny won nine times in a storied career due to fitness issues.
