Neeraj Chopra, India’s javelin throw superstar, couldn’t defend his World Athletics Championships title in Tokyo. He finished eighth with his best throw at just 84.03 meters, ending a hot streak of 26 top-two finishes since 2021. Fans watching the Neeraj Chopra javelin throw performance were left surprised, just like the athlete himself.
After the event, Neeraj opened up about his struggles. “I don’t understand what happened today. This hasn’t happened in a long time,” he said, as quoted by Olympics.com. He revealed back issues from two weeks ago that he kept quiet about. “I thought I could push through it, but javelin is tough. If you’re not in top shape, you’re out.”
Competing on back-to-back days added to the challenge. Neeraj qualified easily on Wednesday with his first throw, but the final on Thursday didn’t go as planned. “It wasn’t a problem throwing two days in a row. I felt good after qualifying, but today, I couldn’t find that extra distance,” the two-time Olympic medalist explained. He plans to review his throws and work on his technique. “It’s life and sports. I’ll learn from this setback and move on.”
This marks Neeraj’s worst finish since sixth place at the 2018 Continental Cup in Czechia. Remember, he made history as the first Indian to win World Championships gold in Budapest two years ago. Despite this, his 2025 season has been stellar overall. He kicked it off with a win at the Potch Invitational in South Africa in April. In May, he smashed the 90-meter mark for the first time ever at the Doha Diamond League, grabbing second place with 90.23 meters.
Neeraj kept the momentum going with a second spot at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland, then dominated the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike with throws of 88.16 meters and 85.29 meters. In July, he triumphed at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru—his own event—with 86.18 meters. He wrapped up August with another second place at the Zurich Diamond League final, throwing 85.01 meters.
Back to the Tokyo final: Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott claimed gold with a massive 88.16 meters—his first World Championships title 13 years after his London Olympics win. Anderson Peters from Grenada took silver at 87.38 meters, while American Curtis Thompson grabbed bronze with 86.67 meters.
India’s hopes also rested on young Sachin Yadav, who shone with a best of 86.27 meters and finished fourth. Sadly, the much-hyped India-Pakistan rivalry between Neeraj and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem fell flat. Neeraj ended eighth at 84.03 meters, while Nadeem came tenth with 82.73 meters.
Here’s how the drama unfolded round by round. In the first round, Germany’s Julian Weber opened with 83.63 meters. Neeraj followed closely at 83.65 meters, and Nadeem at 82.73 meters. But Thompson surged ahead with 86.67 meters. Sachin impressed everyone by throwing 86.27 meters, beating Neeraj and landing second behind Thompson.
Round two heated up. Weber improved to 86.11 meters, but Peters hit 87.38 meters for the lead. Neeraj managed 84.03 meters, his best of the day. Walcott leaped to 87.83 meters, taking over the top spot. Sachin fouled but held fourth. Neeraj slipped to seventh, a rare spot for the defending champion.
In round three, fouls hurt Weber and Neeraj. Peters dropped to 82.83 meters, and Nadeem to 82.75 meters. Kenya’s Julius Yego, the 2015 world champ, pulled out with a groin injury. Sachin stayed strong at 85.71 meters, holding fourth. Neeraj remained eighth.
Round four saw Nadeem foul again, ending at tenth. Neeraj threw 82.66 meters, still struggling. Sachin hit 84.90 meters for fourth. Walcott sealed his lead with that winning 88.16 meters.
The fifth round didn’t help Neeraj, who couldn’t improve and locked in eighth. Sachin pushed to 85.96 meters, staying in the medal hunt at fourth. In the final round, Sachin threw 80.95 meters, confirming his fourth-place finish.
Neeraj’s resilience shines through. This rare off day won’t define him—expect the javelin star to bounce back stronger in future Neeraj Chopra competitions.
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