Neeraj Chopra Victorious at Ostrava Golden Spike, But Eyes Further Improvement

Neeraj Chopra secured the Golden Spike title at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Tuesday. However, the Olympic champion expressed a desire for improvement despite his victory.

Neeraj Chopra celebrates his victory at the Ostrava Golden Spike.

Chopra's best throw of 85.29m in the third round was enough to secure the win in his first appearance at the meet. He led the field of nine athletes, following a foul on his first attempt and a throw of 83.45m on his second.

"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. In May, he had previously exceeded the 90m mark during his second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League.

The 27-year-old athlete has maintained strong form this season, fresh off a Diamond League victory in Paris just days before the Golden Spike meet. Chopra is scheduled to compete next at the NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, where he will face formidable opponents including Anderson Peters and Thomas Rohler.

Despite his own high standards, Chopra's performance secured him the prestigious Golden Spike title in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

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