Chopra Grabs Ostrava Gold But Admits Disappointment With Throw

Chopra Claims Ostrava Golden Spike Title, But Expresses Discontent

Neeraj Chopra secured the Golden Spike title at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event on Tuesday, achieving a best throw of 85.29m. However, the Olympic champion voiced his dissatisfaction with the performance, despite winning in his debut appearance at the meet.

Leading the nine-man field, Chopra's winning throw came in the third round, following a foul on his first attempt and a throw of 83.45m in his second.

"I am not that happy with my performance today, but I am very happy with the trophy I won," Chopra stated. "I used to watch this meeting a lot as a kid. I watched people like Jan Zelezny and Usain Bolt winning the Golden Spike, and I dreamt of winning one as well. Now the dream has come true," the two-time Olympic medallist added, according to PTI.

His subsequent throws measured 82.17m and 81.01m, with a foul in the final round. "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," said Chopra, who had previously surpassed the 90m mark during his second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League in May.

The 27-year-old athlete has maintained strong form this season, fresh off a Diamond League victory in Paris just days before the Golden Spike meet. Chopra's next competition is scheduled for the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where he will compete against Anderson Peters and Thomas Rohler.

Despite not meeting his own expectations, especially in front of a large crowd, Chopra's performance was sufficient to win the coveted Golden Spike title.