Defending champion Neeraj Chopra had a tough night at the men’s javelin throw final in the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo. A no-throw in his fifth attempt prematurely ended his medal hopes, finishing eighth with a best effort of 84.03m. Not once did Chopra breach the crucial 85m mark, marking his toughest outing in recent years with no podium finish for the first time since 2018.
Neeraj survived in eighth place after the fifth round, while Keshorn Walcott extended his lead with a massive throw of 88.16m. Fellow Indian Sachin Yadav impressed with a throw of 86.27m, holding the fourth spot at one point.
Nadeem Falters Too
Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan struggled, finishing 10th with no medal hopes, with a deliberate foul on one attempt that effectively ended his competition. Only the top eight athletes progressed to the next round, excluding both Nadeem and Chopra from medal contention. The championship featured 37 competitors fighting for 12 final spots. Neeraj was part of Group A, facing Germany’s Julian Weber (the season leader with a 91.51m throw the 2012 Olympic gold medalist) Keshorn Walcott, Czech veteran Jakub Vadlejch, and Sachin Yadav. Group B included Arshad Nadeem, Grenada’s Anderson Peters, 2015 champion Julius Yego, Brazil’s Luiz da Silva, India’s Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.
Chopra
Chopra’s tactical approach, often relying on a strong opening throw in the 85m range to pressure rivals, faltered as no throw crossed that mark this time. The subtle wind conditions and the presence of late carry specialists like Nadeem’s rhythm and Weber’s piercing release made the stage challenging. For India, the strategy was clear: an assertive first legal throw to control tempo, disciplined run-up on Tokyo’s tricky surface, and tactical spacing with teammate Sachin Yadav’s consistent throws. Despite efforts, Chopra could not defend his title after a brilliant run that included gold in Budapest 2023, silver in 2022, and Olympics silver in 2024. The men’s final remained intensely competitive, with Walcott leading, Anderson Peters, and others also in medal contention as the event progressed.
For the women’s javelin, Asian Games gold medallist Annu Rani led the Indian challenge, with qualification rounds on Friday and the final on Saturday.