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Neeraj Chopra out to break 90m barrier as he starts 2024 season in Doha Diamond League
Indian javelin thrower says breaching 90m mark is a personal goal apart from winning gold at Paris Olympics
Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will commence his 2024 season at the Diamond League in Doha in May. Chopra will be up against noted names Jakub Vadlejch, Julian Weber and Anderson Peters as the Diamond League circuit kicks-off in Doha on May 10.
Along with Neeraj Chopra, World Championship finalist Kishore Jena will also be in action.
Chopra, who won the Diamond League in 2022, said his personal goals are to win the gold medal at the Olympics and also breach the 90m mark, which he has been trying to do for the past few years. Chopra had come close to bettering the 90m mark in 2022 with a throw of 89.94m in the Sweden leg of the Diamond League.
In a statement released by Diamond League, he said, “This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title, but it would also mean a lot to me to break the 90m barrier. The Doha Meeting, with good conditions and a great atmosphere, is a perfect opportunity to get my season off to the best start. I’m always overwhelmed by the warm support I get from Indians across the world, and in Qatar, that is particularly special. I feel privileged that so many people come out to support me and I hope I can repay their faith in me with a good performance.”
Chopra was happy with the way the country has been progressing in athletics, especially in his javelin throw event. “Last year my dream was to win the World Championships, but to have three Indian athletes competing in the final - that shows we’re progressing as a nation,” the 26-year-old added.
Chopra has many firsts to his name. Apart from being the first Indian to be an Olympic champion in athletics, he is also the World Champion and the first Indian to win the Diamond League too.
In Doha, Chopra will be up against European champion Julian Weber (best of 89.54m), World Championships finalist Oliver Helander (89.83m), Qatari record holder Ahmed Bader Magour (85.23m), Asian Games silver medallist and World Championships finalist Kishore Jena (87.54m), Lithuanian record holder and World University Games champion Edis Matusevicius (89.17m), Asian champion and Asian Games bronze medallist Roderick Genki Dean (84.28m), Moldovan record holder and Olympic finalist Andrian Mardare (86.66m), and Pan American Games champion Curtis Thompson (87.70m).
