Julian Weber throws 91.51m to win gold, becomes 2nd thrower to cross 90m in 2026

Julian Weber, a fellow competitor and close friend of Olympic medalist Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, achieved a remarkable feat at the European Athletics Championships held in Birmingham on Saturday. Weber's final throw during the competition reached an astounding distance of 91.51 meters, earning him the gold medal. This remarkable achievement marks him as only the second javelin thrower this season to surpass the 90-meter threshold, following the world leader and Commonwealth Games champion Rumesh Pathirage of Sri Lanka.

Rumesh set a new personal best of 92.67 meters at the Rome Diamond League, firmly establishing himself as the top javelin thrower of the season.

At 31 years old, Weber has already claimed two gold medals at the European Championships. In his quest for victory, he bested Tokyo Olympic medallist Jakub Valdjech, who finished the event in fifth place with a throw of 82.88 meters. Weber secured the lead with his initial throw, which traveled 83.71 meters, and held onto it throughout the competition.

However, he managed to surpass his own record by throwing an impressive 91.51 meters during his final attempt, a significant improvement from his previous two 90-meter throws. The German thrower previously set a personal best of 91.06 meters during the Zurich Diamond League last year, making it the first occasion when both Weber and Neeraj had recorded a throw over 90 meters.

The German athlete joins Neeraj at the Lausanne Diamond League next week on August 21, as they are both expected to participate in the event together. The tournament is anticipated to feature a formidable lineup, including world leader Rumesh Pathirage, former World Champion Anderson Peters, reigning World champion Keshorn Walcott, and World Championships medallist Curtis Thompson, alongside Weber and Neeraj.