STUNNING JAVELIN COMPETITION THE HIGHLIGHT OF A WONDERFUL NIGHT IN DOHA

Crowds had gathered outside the Qatar Sports Club long before the start of the Jetour Doha Meeting (Friday 16 May) and as the stadium filled to capacity, athletes enjoyed a raucous reception from the pre-programme events through to the Wanda Diamond League disciplines that delivered four world leads and one meeting record-equalling performance.

There was a stadium-wide celebration as Olympic javelin silver medallist Neeraj Chopra (IND) threw beyond 90m for the first time to record a new national record and – briefly – a 2025 world leading distance of 90.23m, but in one of the greatest javelin competitions of all time, Germany’s 2022 European champion Julian Weber threw an enormous 91.06m with his final throw (in the final three showdown) to take the win in a new world lead and personal best.

The Doha javelin competition has built a reputation for its high quality in recent years and much has been made of Chopra’s potential to throw 90m. Perhaps less well publicised was Weber’s potential to do the same.

For those who had attended last year’s press conference – in fact repeated press conferences in recent years – the conversation focused on when Chopra might break the 90m barrier. At this year’s media event he laughed at the prospect of achieving a meeting record (93.90m by Thomas Röhler in 2017, which is also a Diamond League record), but perhaps the focus on that target was a welcome distraction for the 27-year-old former Olympic champion – now coached by world record holder Jan Železný (CZE) – as the distance came at last.

What caused the crowd to erupt, if that was possible on top of the existing noise in the stadium, was Weber’s unbelievable response to Chopra’s throw, extending the short-lived world lead and re-writing his own lifetime best by a metre and a half.

“I don’t know what happened tonight, I think I’ll have to watch it!,” said Weber afterwards. “I just felt amazing today, I don’t know how that happened because the previous weeks weren’t that good for me, but I was just feeling great.

“The crowd was amazing and helped me throw beyond 90 metres for the first time. It was also the winning throw in the last round, so it came out really perfect. I was also really happy for Neeraj because he’s been fighting for that throw over 90m for some time and it was really special to achieve it tonight. The back wind here in Doha is great for us javelin throwers, if you get the travel right and throw a little higher, it just flies great. It’s also warm, make you feel relaxed and easy, it all comes into place.”

Chopra said: “It is a little bit of a bittersweet result. I am very happy for the 90m…but I am very happy also for Julian. We both broke 90m for the first time today. We have been tying this for so many years, so finally, we managed to get it.

“I was very confident today and I expected Julian to get a massive throw as he was very consistent with his attempts. I told him that today is the day when we both can break the 90m mark. It is like a boost for us. I feel very good that Jan Zelezny is my coach now; he doesn’t normally go to the Diamond Leagues but he came with me because he told me that today is the day to achieve 90m.”

Anderson Peters (GRN) was third with 85.64m.

Another much-anticipated event ahead of the Jetour Doha Meeting was the women’s 3000m steeplechase which reunited Olympic champion Winfred Yavi (BRN) with Paris silver and bronze medallists Peruth Chemutai (UGA) and Faith Cherotich (KEN).

In the end it was a super-fast finish by Cherotich that saw her clinch victory in the final metres of the race in a world-leading 9:05.08. Also running season’s best times, Yavi, the reigning Olympic, world and Asian Games champion, finished second (9:05.26), with reigning world U20 champion Sembo Almayew (ETH) in third (9:09.27).

“First of all, I am very surprised by this result and I did not expect to win today,” said former world U20 champion Cherotich. “It was not an easy run because all of us were here to win. It felt almost like an Olympic final. When I won my medal in Paris, it helped me a lot in my life and helped me to focus on training and competing even more. I think I can build on this momentum and continue with good results this season.”

Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela, an Olympic finalist in Paris, won an incredibly quick men’s 800m in a world leading 1:43.11.

The pacemaker had his work cut out to reach the front after a sprint-paced start, but he eventually took the lead on the back straight and led the field through the opening lap in 49.5. USA’s world indoor champion Bryce Hoppel – fourth in the Olympic final – finished strongly to take second in 1:43.26 with Kenya’s Wyclife Kinyamal in third (1:43.37). The top six all ran under 1:45.00.

“Last season was not good, I had a lot of injuries, but I know that I am ready now,” said Masalela. “I came here expecting the race to be very tactical. The plan was to follow the pace and when I saw the guys going fast, I was like, OK, I felt sharp and I wanted to try for the win. This is the moment I have been working hard for, so I am not surprised that I managed to gain this victory. I want to be the world champion. That is all I want now, that is the goal.”

“I had a lot of fun!” said Hoppel who ran his fifth-quickest time ever. “The big things I’m working for will be coming in September, in Tokyo, so I’m really excited to open up the season with that time…I couldn’t be happier at this moment.”

All eyes were on multiple Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) in the women’s 100m, but it was her fellow countrywoman Tia Clayton (JAM) who took the win in a world-leading 10.92 (+2.0m/s) 100m ahead of her twin sister and 2022 world junior 100m champion Tina Clayton (JAM) in second (11.02).

“I didn’t do (the best possible) because I couldn’t get the start I always get, but other than that it was a great race for me. It is very special for me and my twin sister to finish first and second,” said Tia Clayton.

Amy Hunt (GBR), Olympic relay silver medallist, ran a personal best of 11.03 to take third with Fraser-Pryce (JAM) fourth (11.05).

“It has been a while since I competed consistently,” admitted Fraser-Pryce. “Doha is a great place to be…it has always been fantastic, the atmosphere was electric, the reception has been wonderful, and I’m so excited to come back again. It is a long season, we just continue to work and hope for the best. As a mother I have to balance between being a mom and an athlete, and being present at different moments, when you’re required to be…and I really just enjoy the moment.”

Olympic silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) had her winning time in the women’s 400m rounded down to 49.83 to match the meeting record set by Allyson Felix (USA) in 2008, but it wasn’t quite enough to meet the criteria for the $5000 bonus payment promised by meeting organisers for new meeting records.

Natalia Bukowiecka (POL) finished second in 50.92 – a season’s best – with Lieke Klaver (NED) in third (51.12). There was also a national U20 record for Qatar’s Bakhita Jamal Saber Marisio (55.37).

“I feel good, it is such a special feeling to achieve a meeting record!”, said Eid Naser. “It was not a coincidence; it was my aim for today’s meeting. My goal this year is to win as everybody does, but I also want to be healthy. I will try to run a better time, but I don’t want to pressure myself with it. I just want to be out there and to enjoy it. It is windy here, but I won the World Championships here in Doha, so it is always special to be here.”

In addition to the world leading and meeting record performances, highlights came from across the programme.

With the back straight flags waving in the warm breeze, conditions might not have been quite as perfect for the discus throwers as they had been 24 hours earlier, but Olympic bronze medallist and reigning Diamond League champion Matt Denny (AUS) got the confidence-boosting victory he was after with a 68.97m effort in the final round that extended his early lead.

The conditions were a bit tricky because of the wind and everyone was struggling with that a bit,” said Denny; “but in the end it was a good competition and we enjoyed competing together. It is awesome to win again.”

World champion and former Olympic champion Daniel Ståhl (SWE) took second with a season’s best of 67.06m, with 2022 world champion Kristjan Čeh (SLO) in third with a season’s best of 66.92m.

In the women’s pole vault, British record holder and 2024 world indoor champion Molly Caudery took the win for the second successive year with a best height of 4.75m.

Although she had a surprise failure at her opening height of 4.33m, Caudery looked impressive throughout the competition and went on to deliver a clear card until her three failures at 4.85m admitting she has ‘a lot of fire in her’, which is ‘a good thing’ ahead of the new season.

Italy’s Roberta Bruni and USA’s 2021 Olympic champion Katie Moon finished equal-second with 4.63m.

Shelby McEwen (USA) took the men’s high jump victory with a season’s best-equalling 2.26m. Japan’s Ryoichi Akamatsu – second at last week’s What Gravity Challenge – finished second with 2.23m, while New Zealand’s Olympic champion Hamish Kerr took third on countback, also with a best of 2.23m. Qatar’s superstar Mutaz Barshim didn’t start.

Also in the field, Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts won the women’s triple jump with a wind-aided season’s best of 14.72m (+3.2m/s). Olympic champion Thea Lafond (DMA) was second with 14.39m (+1.9m/s) and Ilionis Guillaume (FRA) was third with 14.20m (+3.4m/s).

“I think I’m in the best state of mind of my career,” said Ricketts who enjoyed the support she got from the crowd.

Back on the track, Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell took the men’s 110m hurdles victory in a season’s best time of 13.14 (+1.1m/s). USA’s Jamal Britt was second (13.25) and Spain’s Enrique Llopis third in a season’s best of 13.27, while further down the field there was a notable national record for Asian U20 champion Doudai Oumar Abakar (QAT) who ran a lifetime best of 13.46 in sixth.

Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot won a slightly bizarre men’s 5000m in 13:16.40 during which the pacemakers broke clear inside the opening 200m; in fact, with eight laps to go they were at least 75m ahead of the chasing pack led by Yihune Addisu (ETH). The pack eventually caught up with the now solo pacemaker – Kenya’s Boaz Kiprugat – with four laps to go and with one lap to go five athletes were clear led by Samuel Tefera (ETH) and Dominic Lobalu (SUI).

The noise of the crowd was deafening as Cheruiyot eventually came through to take a popular victory in a season’s best time. Lobalu and Birhanu Balew (BRN) were given equal-second (13:17.70), also season’s bests.

The men’s 400m hurdles was won by Alessandro Sibilio (ITA) in 49.32 with Ismail Nezir (TUR) in second (49.40) and Ian Matic Guček (SLO) in third (49.49) – all three running season’s best times – while the women’s 1500m was won by Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir in a season’s best time of 4:05.00. Susan Lokayo Ejore (KEN) finished second (4:06.27) with Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie in third in a season’s best of 4:07.73.

There was much anticipation around the potential for a new meeting record in the men’s 200m, but Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo (BOT) cruised over the line to win in a season’s best of 20.10 (+0.7m/s), outside the 19.67 set by the USA’s Kenny Bednarek 12 months ago.

Courtney Lindsey (USA) was second in 20.11, also a season’s best, and Joseph Fahnbulleh (LBR) finished third in 20.26.

“It was all about enjoying it,” said Tebogo of his performance; “my coach told me to stay healthy and enjoy it. The meeting record was definitely not my target tonight, but I believe that next year the meeting record at the 200m will be gone. If they send the invitation my way, then I will be glad to be here.”