Neeraj Chopra national record: Javelin star says ‘performance has boosted confidence significantly’

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra added another feather to his storied cap on Tuesday (June 15), setting a new national record with a throw of 89.30 metres at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2022 in Finland. It was Neeraj’s first competitive event since winning a historic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj’s record-breaking throw helped him finish second in the competition. Oliver Helander, the event’s local favourite, topped the list with a throw of 89.83 metres.

“I am pleased with my performance. It was my first event of the season, so I am happy to have started the season on a high note. My performance here has boosted my confidence significantly,” Neeraj Chopra said, when asked about his performance.

“Going forward I am looking to work on my technique, throw, and overall performance. I am in a happy place at the moment and I just want to do well in the upcoming events,” Neeraj added.

@Neeraj_chopra1 rewrote the NATIONAL RECORD with a skyrocketing throw of 89.30 m, winning a silverat the #PaavoNurmiGames in Turku, Finland. Oliver Helander stood 1st & Anderson Peters secured 3rd place.

Once again, our Golden Boy has made India shine brighter!#Javelin pic.twitter.com/FwVn64yMTV — Dept of Sports MYAS (@IndiaSports) June 15, 2022

Neeraj’s previous national record was 88.07m, which he set in March in Patiala last year. A few months later, on August 7, 2021, Neeraj went on to become the first Indian player to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics with a throw of 87.58m. After Abhinav Bindra, he is only the second Indian player to win an individual gold medal in the Summer Games.

In his first attempt, Neeraj reached 86.92m before propelling the spear to 89.30m in his second attempt. The 24-year-old’s next three tries were all fouls. In his sixth and last throw, he threw his spear 85.85 metres.

Neeraj’s best effort of 89.30m in the tournament also helped him to reach the fifth spot on the world season leaders’ list. Meanwhile, reigning world champion Anderson Peters finished third with a throw of 86.60m.