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India's Neeraj Chopra commenced his Diamond League campaign in style when he rewrote the national record and inched closer to the 90m mark at the Stockholm Diamond League meet on Thursday.
The Indian javelin ace threw 89.94m in his first throw to set a new national record, his new personal best and a Diamond League meet record too. However, the Diamond League meet record was soon broken by Andersen Peters, who sent the spear soaring to 90.31m in his third attempt.
Prior to the Stockholm Diamond League meeting, Neeraj won the gold medal at the Kuortane Games with a throw of 86.69m.
Before the Kuortane Games, Neeraj made a spectacular return to the competitive field after his historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics. He delivered a stunning throw of 89.30m to shatter his own national record then, en route to winning the silver medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games.
Neeraj Chopra falls just shy of the 90m mark
Neeraj Chopra led the field at the Stockholm Diamond League and came up with an impressive throw of 89.94m, just shy of the gold standard 90m mark.
The Indian javelin ace came up with a good run and had an excellent follow-through to send the spear close to the 90m mark. He let out a cry and then put his arms up in celebration, a customary Neeraj Chopra style now, and clenched his fists to celebrate the feat.
At the recently concluded Kuortane Games, Neeraj lost his balance after releasing the spear and had a nasty fall with his left shoulder hitting the turf, raising fears of his participation in the ongoing Stockholm Diamond League. However, the Indian ace was quick to confirm that the injury was a minor one and confirmed his participation in the Diamond League.
Neeraj's main goal this year is to defend his title at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and earn a podium finish at the Eugene World Athletics Championships, starting on July 15 in Oregon, USA.
