June 25, 2025: Neeraj Chopra, the double Olympic medallist and former Olympic champion, secured the prestigious Golden Spike title on his debut appearance at the meet held in Czechia. Despite winning with a best throw of 85.29 meters at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event on Tuesday, Chopra expressed mixed feelings about his performance.
“I am not that happy with my performance today, but I am very happy with the trophy I won,” said Chopra. The 27-year-old recalled watching legends like Jan Zelezny and Usain Bolt claim the Golden Spike during his childhood and described winning it himself as a dream come true.
Though Chopra topped the nine-man field, he admitted that he did not meet his personal expectations, especially given the enthusiastic support from the packed crowd. “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 said.
Chopra’s winning throw came in the third round, following an initial foul and a second attempt measuring 83.45 meters. Subsequent throws of 82.17m and 81.01m were followed by another foul in the final round. While the 85.29m mark was modest compared to his peak performances—such as breaching the 90m barrier at the Doha Diamond League in May—it was enough to secure victory.
Continuing his strong season, Chopra recently won the Diamond League meet in Paris just days before this competition. Looking ahead, he will compete next at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where top throwers Anderson Peters and Thomas Rohler are also expected to participate.