Neeraj Chopra becomes 25th Athlete in history to cross 90-metre barrier in Javelin Throw

India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra created history on Friday by crossing the 90-metre mark for the first time in his career during the Doha Diamond League 2025. With a third-round throw of 90.23 metres, Neeraj became the 25th man in history to breach the elite distance in men’s javelin throw. He opened the competition strongly with an 88.44m throw and was leading from the first round. His second attempt was a foul, but he followed it up with the massive 90.23m throw in the third round, sending the Indian athletics fraternity into celebration mode. Crossing the 90-metre mark is considered one of the most prestigious milestones in the sport. Only 25 athletes have managed to achieve it in history, with the feat being accomplished 126 times overall. Neeraj joins an elite list that includes legendary names such as Jan Zelezny, Johannes Vetter, and Anderson Peters. Neeraj's coach, Jan Zelezny, holds the world record of 98.48m set in 1996 a mark that has stood unchallenged for nearly three decades. Chopra, who recently switched to training under Zelezny, continues to show signs of improvement as he builds towards a packed athletics season.Arshad Nadeem, Chopra’s regional rival, currently holds the Olympic record with a throw of 92.97m set at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Max Dehning of Germany is the youngest to cross the 90m mark, having done so at just 19 years old in 2024. The Doha meet features a strong field including Anderson Peters, Jakub Vadlejch, and Julian Weber, but Chopra’s performance has put him firmly in the spotlight. The final standings will be confirmed once the event concludes.