Neeraj Chopra extended his winning streak on Tuesday by clinching the Golden Spike title in Ostrava, Czech Republic, marking his debut appearance at the prestigious meet. Ostrava, Czech Republic, during his maiden appearance at the prestigious event. The Indian javelin star secured the title with a best throw of 85.29m, just days after triumphing at the Paris Diamond League.
Chopra, 27, overcame a slow start to clinch the title. He began with a foul, followed by a throw of 83.45m, placing him third after the second round. However, the reigning Olympic champion delivered a superb 85.29m effort in his third attempt to seize the lead &mdash; a position he maintained until the end. His subsequent throws measured 82.17m and 81.01m, while his final attempt resulted in a foul.
South Africa's Douw Smit pushed Chopra hard, recording a best of 84.12m in the second round to finish second. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada secured third place with an opening throw of 83.63m.
India's Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya lauded Chopra's performance, calling him a "true champion"."Neeraj does it again! Wins the Ostrava Golden Spike with a stellar 85.29m throw. A true champion who makes the nation proud every single time!" Mandaviya posted on social media platform X.
With Chopra's German rival, Julian Weber, absent from the field, the double Olympic medallist entered as the clear favourite. Though his performance did not reach his career-best, the 27-year-old managed to take victory in a venue that holds great significance in the world of javelin.
Despite not being at his peak, Chopra secured a meaningful victory at an event where his coach, Czech legend Jan Železn&yacute;, dominated during his illustrious career. Železn&yacute;, who served as event director on the day, won the Golden Spike nine times between 1986 and 2006, frequently producing throws beyond the 90m mark.
Chopra, however, has faced fitness concerns in recent years, missing the last two editions of the Golden Spike meet. He has competed in Ostrava before, finishing sixth at the IAAF Continental Cup in 2018 with a modest throw of 80.24m.
His 2024 season has been notable, with Chopra winning his first Diamond League title in two years at the Paris meet on 20 June, producing a first-round throw of 88.16m. That performance followed a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the elusive 90m barrier for the first time.
Chopra recently admitted there remains room for improvement, citing the need to work on his core strength and suggesting his run-up may have been too fast in recent competitions.
Earlier this season, Weber had beaten Chopra at both the Doha Diamond League on 16 May and at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial meet in Poland on 23 May. However, the Indian star responded strongly in Paris, reaffirming his status as one of the world&rsquo;s best.
Before his Paris triumph, Chopra&rsquo;s last Diamond League win came in Lausanne in June 2023, where he recorded an 87.66m throw.
Chopra&rsquo;s next outing will be at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on 5 July, an event he is hosting. Notably, Peters and German veteran Thomas R&ouml;hler are also expected to compete.

Dr Mandaviya calls Neeraj ‘true champion' (File Photo)

Neeraj does it again! Wins Ostrava Golden Spike with 85.29m throw: Dr Mandaviya

Dr Mandaviya Hails Neeraj Chopra’s Golden Spike Win

Neeraj does it again! Wins Ostrava Golden Spike with 85.29m throw: Dr Mandaviya

June 25, 2025 | 17:13 IST