Neeraj falters in title defence, finishes outside top two for first time since 2021 as Walcott strikes javelin gold
It was back in 2021, at Tokyo’s National Stadium, where Chopra first etched his name into Indian sporting folklore
Sachin Yadav registered his personal best throw of 86.27
Neeraj Chopra reacts after the throw of his javelin
CHENNAI: If one scrolled through social media on Thursday, the mood surrounding the World Athletics Championships javelin final was markedly different. On most occasions when Neeraj Chopra steps out, there is quiet confidence that he will deliver. This time, though, the chatter was filled with doubt — could he really defend his crown? Could the Olympic champion rise once more? For the first time since June 2021, the inevitable happened, the two-time Olympic medallist finished outside the top two.
It was back in 2021, at Tokyo’s National Stadium, where Chopra first etched his name into Indian sporting folklore. With the stands empty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he launched the javelin 87.58m to claim Olympic gold — India’s first in athletics. Tokyo may have been silent, but the noise back home was deafening. Amid a nation wracked by uncertainty and grief, Chopra’s triumph provided a rare moment of unity and joy.
Fast forward to Thursday, with a packed crowd in Tokyo roaring the athletes, the story unfolded differently. The rain made conditions trickier, and Chopra never truly settled into his rhythm. He opened with 83.65m, followed by 84.02m, before registering 82.86m with his fourth throw. His third and fifth attempts were fouls, leaving him visibly frustrated. Watching from the sidelines, his coach — the great Jan Železný, world record-holder and multiple Olympic champion — could only shake his head.
After the final, Neeraj admitted he had been carrying a back issue in the build-up to Tokyo. “I don’t understand what happened today. This has not happened for a long time. Two weeks ago I had some back issues, but I didn’t want to tell anyone. I thought I would still manage to get through it,” he said, adding that he probably needs more training and technical improvement.
If pictures could speak, the image of Chopra leaning against the barricade after his final throw would capture the disappointment. This was a season that had begun on a high: he finally breached the much-discussed 90m mark in Doha with 90.23m, finishing second to Germany’s Julian Weber. Victories followed in Paris and Ostrava, as well as at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru with 86.18m. But ultimately, the campaign ended with him leaving empty-handed for the first time in years.
From his U20 World Championship title in 2016 to Olympic gold and global acclaim, Chopra has collected an impressive 26 podium finishes and inspired a generation to take up the sport, forcing India to look at athletics anew. On the night his streak was broken, there was at least a silver lining. Fellow Indian Sachin Yadav delivered his personal best of 86.27m with his opening throw, finishing an impressive fourth in the biggest competition of his career.
On the other side stood 75-year-old Klaus Bartonietz, who had guided Chopra to Olympic glory and a Diamond League crown in 2022. On Thursday, he was in the corner of Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, helping him claim his first-ever World Championship medal — and his first international podium in nine years.
