Chopra Victorious at Ostrava Golden Spike But Eyes Improved Performance

Neeraj Chopra secured the Golden Spike title at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event on Tuesday, achieving a best throw of 85.29m. Despite the victory, the Olympic champion expressed a desire for better performance in his first appearance at the meet.

Neeraj Chopra celebrates his victory at the Ostrava Golden Spike event.

Chopra led the field of nine athletes with his winning throw in the third round. His series included a foul on his first attempt, followed by 83.45m in the second round.

"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," Chopra said. He previously exceeded the 90m mark during his second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League in May.

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

Despite not meeting his personal expectations, particularly in front of a large audience, Chopra's effort was enough to secure the prestigious Golden Spike title.