Neeraj Chopra Slips to Eighth, Sachin Yadav Shines with Fourth at 2025 Worlds

Introduction

The final of the men javelin throw event during the 2025 World Athletics sports event in Tokyo experienced stiff competition amidst poor rainy weather. Olympic champion, Neeraj Chopra performed poorly placing eighth with his best of 84.03 meters and compatriot Sachin Yadav was doing well in his performance as he missed out on a podium finish by the narrow margin.

Medal Winners

Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago who is the 2012 Olympic champion won the gold medal with a season best of 88.16 meters. The win enhanced a comeback of Walcott in the world arena. Anderson Peters of Grenada, two time world champion, took the silver with a distance of 87.38 meters, and Curtis Thompson of the United States took the bronze with 86.67 meters which ended the long America medal drought in the javelin event.

Indian Performances

Although Neeraj Chopra was regarded as a good competitor, he did not get his rhythm in the rainy weather. His 84.03m performance was his worst ever, as he was ranked in the eighth position in the world. The focus however changed to Sachin Yadav who showed a lot of composure during his first world final. His own efforts of 86.27m and 85.96m spoke of consistency and possible potential, and he was heading in the right direction, only to miss the bronze medal in the form of a fourth-place finish.

Rivalries and Setbacks

The much hyped battle between Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan so-called Arshad Nadeem did not stand to the test. This is because Nadeem, who was the 2023 world champion, was unable to adapt to the slippery conditions and lost after the first three rounds. To make things worse, Julius Yego of Kenya who was once a world champion also retired mid way through the event due to injury and Germany Julian Weber came in fifth.

Conclusion

Although the results of Neeraj Chopra were not that impressive, Sachin Yadav did not ruin the javelin expectations of India and achieved a fourth place, which promises to make him a bright athlete in the international arena. The gold of Walcott, silver of Peters and bronze of Thompson was indicative of globalization of the event. Despite being ruined by rain, the Tokyo final will be remembered as having been unpredictable and including new competitors.