Tokyo — India’s medal quest in the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships 2025 came to an end on Thursday, with defending champion Neeraj Chopra finishing eighth and compatriot Sachin Yadav narrowly missing the podium in fourth place.
Chopra, who entered as one of the favourites, struggled to find his rhythm. His best effort of 84.03 metres came in the second attempt, but a foul in the fifth round cut his campaign short, dashing hopes of a successful title defence.
Yadav, however, delivered a standout performance in his first World Championships final, throwing a personal best of 86.27 metres to finish just outside the medal bracket. His effort confirmed his emergence as India’s new javelin prospect on the global stage.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott clinched gold with a season-best throw of 88.16 metres, followed by Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who secured silver with 87.38 metres. The USA’s Curtis Thompson took bronze with 86.67 metres, while Germany’s Julian Weber finished fifth at 86.11 metres.
Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem also faltered, recording two fouls and a best of 82.75 metres to end in tenth place. The much-anticipated face-off between Chopra and Nadeem, heightened by recent tensions between the two nations, never materialised on the field.
For India, the result was bittersweet Chopra falling short of expectations, but Yadav marking his arrival as a serious contender for future championships.
