Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday opened the 2025 season with a commendable 84.52m throw at an invitational tournament in Potchefstroom in South Africa, finishing ahead of all the other participants in what is a crucial year on the World Athletics calendar. Chopra bagged the gold medal, topping a six-man field at the Potch Invitational Track event. Chopra finished miles ahead of 25-year-old Protean javelin thrower Douw Smit, who managed a best throw of 82.44m. The former looked in good shape as he got in his first few competitive throws of the season. Watch the video here: Season opener 84.52 m @Neeraj_chopra1 good start!!! pic.twitter.com/yWmbyXdGMU — TZA Throwing Zone Athletics (@MichaelMMG71) April 16, 2025 Just Chopra and Smit managed to cross the 80m mark in the men’s javelin final, with the third-best throw being a mere 71.22m from local lad Duncan Robertson. While Chopra’s throw was below his personal best of a whopping 89.94m, Smit came close to his mark of 83.29m. Chopra is expected to launch his elite-level competitions at the Doha Diamond League on May 16. For his athletics season opener, Chopra will return to a familiar venue in the Qatari capital, where he has opened his last two seasons. In a major change, Chopra parted ways with his long-time coach Klaus Bartoinetz and started working with the legendary Jan Zelezny ahead of this season. “I believe a 90+ throw is happening soon. He (Jan Zelezny) has made some technical adjustments to my game. I have worked with Klaus Bartonietz, but Zelezny has his ideas about things,” Chopra had told India Today two months back. The star Indian athlete bagged silver at the Paris Olympics last year with a best effort of 89.45m, while Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won gold with an Olympic record of a whopping 92.97m. Chopra later bettered his season best, throwing 89.49m at the Lausanne Diamond League, before finishing second in the Diamond League Final in Brussels. “Last year taught me a lot, but I was proud to be on the podium for India once again at the Olympic Games. I’m now fully fit and enjoying the hard work that Jan Zelezny and I are putting in,” Chopra has been quoted as saying by Olympics.com.