Neeraj Chopra Launches 2025 Season with Potch Invitational Victory

Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra launched his 2025 athletics season with a win at the Potch Invitational Meet in South Africa. With an 84.52m throw, Chopra bested local competitors, Douw Smit and Duncan Robertson. The event marked his season debut, training under coach Jan Zelezny, aiming for another World Championship victory.

Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra successfully initiated his 2025 athletics season by clinching victory at the Potch Invitational Meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Achieving a throw of 84.52 meters, as reported by Olympics.com, Chopra triumphed over local athletes Douw Smit and Duncan Robertson at the iconic McArthur Stadium, the venue where he sealed his qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics nearly five years prior.

Smit, who logged a best mark of 82.44 meters, was the only competitor besides Chopra to exceed the 80-meter mark in the men's javelin throw at the 2025 Potch Invitational Meet. Notwithstanding his win, Neeraj Chopra's personal best and Indian national record hold firm at 89.94 meters, set during the 2022 Stockholm Diamond League.

Departing from his typical season opener at the Doha Diamond League, an event Chopra chose for his 2023 and 2024 season debuts, the seasoned athlete is slated for competition there on May 16. Chopra's appearance in Potchefstroom set precedent as his first contest of the 2025 season, catching many by surprise.

In May, he is poised to lead a World Athletics Continental Tour javelin throw event in India. Under the mentorship of new coach and three-time Olympic and world champion Jan Zelezny from Czechia, the Potch Invitational marked Chopra's inaugural event with his new trainer.

This competition also signified the first time Chopra stepped onto the field since securing second place at the 2024 Diamond League Final last September. For the 2025 season, Chopra's sights are set firmly on retaining his World Championships gold medal at the upcoming edition, slated to be held at Tokyo's revered National Stadium, echoing where he achieved Olympic success at the 2020 Games.

Despite securing an Olympic gold in Tokyo, last year Chopra earned a silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, trailing behind Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who claimed gold with an Olympic record-setting throw. Nadeem, a silver medalist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, poses a challenge to Chopra's world title as they both vie for dominance in Tokyo this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)