Neeraj Chopra Begins 2025 Season with Victory
India's javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra launched his 2025 season successfully, securing a gold medal at an invitational track event in Potchefstroom, South Africa, on Wednesday, April 16th. The two-time Olympic medallist topped a field of six competitors in his first competitive outing of the year.
Good Start in Potchefstroom
Competing at the Potch Invitational Track event after a period of focused training in the South African city, Chopra registered a best throw of 84.52 meters. While this mark is below his personal best of 89.94m, it was comfortably enough to secure the top spot and provide a confidence-boosting start to his campaign.
South African thrower Douw Smit finished second with a distance of 82.44m. Chopra and Smit were the only two athletes in the final to surpass the 80-meter mark. The remaining competitors finished considerably behind.
Potchefstroom Invitational Meet Results:
- Neeraj Chopra (IND) - 84.52m
- Douw Smit (RSA) - 82.44m
- Duncan Robertson (RSA) - 71.22m
- Armand Willemse (RSA) - 69.58m
- Marques Olivier (RSA) - 68.01m
- Jan-Hendrik Heymans (RSA) - 65.59m
Chopra has a New Coach
This season marks a significant change in Chopra's coaching setup. He has parted ways with his long-time coach Dr. Klaus Bartonietz and is now training under the guidance of Czech legend and current world record holder (98.48m), Jan Železný. Chopra revealed he has been working on refining technical aspects of his throw based on Železný's feedback.
"He (Jan Železný) has made some technical adjustments in my game," Chopra stated recently. "He feels that his tweaks would help me... One of the mistakes he pointed out was how I was throwing very low even in Paris, and that I was leaning towards the left. If I am able to incorporate those changes, I think I will get a lot better."
The Goal is for 90m
Chopra remains focused on breaching the coveted 90-meter mark, a feat he came agonizingly close to multiple times in previous seasons. His silver medal effort at the Paris Olympics was 89.45m, while Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem took gold with a remarkable Olympic record of 92.97m. Chopra later achieved a season-best of 89.49m at the Lausanne Diamond League in 2024.
"I believe a 90+ throw is happening soon," Chopra added, expressing confidence in the technical changes being implemented.
Following this successful season opener and a brief personal interlude where he married his long-time girlfriend Himani Mor in January, Chopra's competitive focus now shifts to elite-level competitions. He is expected to compete next at the prestigious Doha Diamond League meet on May 16th. This event will be a crucial stepping stone as he builds momentum towards defending his title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. The win in Potchefstroom is a positive step for his onward journey.
