Fresh off breaching the long-awaited 90-metre mark in Doha last week, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be aiming to go even farther when he lines up in a stacked men’s javelin field at the ORLEN Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Chorzów, Poland, on Friday.

Chopra finally got the monkey off his back after sending the spear to 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League, but it wasn’t enough for the top spot. Germany’s Julian Weber, with a sensational final attempt of 91.06m, claimed victory with his first-ever 90m+ throw.

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The competition in Chorzów promises to be equally fierce. Weber, the 2022 European champion and 2024 silver medallist, will be among the elite contenders once again, alongside two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada (PB: 93.07m), who finished third in Doha with 84m.

Besides the trio, the eight-man field will also include Polish national record holder Marcin Krukowski (PB: 89.55m) and compatriots Cyprian Mrzyglod (PB: 84.97m) and Dawid Wegner (PB: 82.21m), along with Moldova’s Andrian Mardare (86.66m) and Ukraine’s Artur Felfner (PB: 84.32m).

Chopra, now 27, has had the 90m barrier in his sights since 2018. Speaking after the Doha meet, he expressed relief and optimism. “It was just the beginning,” Chopra said, adding, “I believe I can have more 90m throws and go even farther this season, leading up to the World Championships.”

This year, Chopra is in better shape physically, no longer hampered by the groin niggle that troubled him over the past few seasons. Having teamed up with javelin legend and world record holder Jan Železný, who began coaching him earlier this year, the Panipat thrower said he is still working on a few technical aspects.

“My coach and I are still working on some aspects of my throw. I am still learning things. We started working together only in February this year,” Chopra had said in Doha.

“I was always feeling something in my groin in the last few years. I did not give my best because of that. This year, I feel much better.”

Chopra was earlier slated to compete in the inaugural NC Classic, an event to be hosted by him on May 24 in Bengaluru, alongside several global and Indian stars. But the event was postponed in the wake of military confrontation between India and Pakistan.

The event in Poland will be his third competition this season. He started in South Africa at the Potch Invitational Track event, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger competition in Potchefstroom on April 16, emerging on top with a modest throw of 84.52m. The Kusociński Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, is steeped in history—first held in 1954 and named after Olympic champion Janusz Kusociński, it’s one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious track and field meets.

After Chorzów, Chopra will look ahead to the Golden Spike 2025 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 24. He will hope to finally compete after injury setbacks kept him out of the last two editions.

With the World Championships in Tokyo this September firmly on his mind, Chopra will be hoping to build momentum as he aims to defend his title.