Neeraj Chopra at World Championships: How did Arshad Nadeem and his other big rivals fare in javelin qualifiers

Neeraj Chopra at World Championships (AP Photo)

If Neeraj Chopra was one and done, then Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem left it to the very last before clinching qualification for the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Grenada’s Anderson Peters led the 12 qualifiers with a monster throw of 89.53m. Nadeem, the Olympic champion from Paris 2024, finished fifth with 85.28m, a spot ahead of Neeraj, whose only throw of 84.85m was clear of the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m.

India’s Sachin Yadav will also be part of Thursday evening’s final, after his second throw of 83.67m put him in 10th place. Rohit Yadav (77.81m) and Yash Vir Singh (77.51m) finished 28th and 30th in the 37-man field.

Neeraj was the only man in Group A to clear the qualifying mark with his very first throw, with Germany’s Julian Weber (87.21m) and Poland’s Dawid Wegner (85.67m) needing two and three throws to seal their spots. Nadeem, who was part of Group B, started with two terrible throws – 76.99m and 74.17m – before saving his blushes with his final effort.

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With eight of the 12 qualifiers clearing 84m, it promises to be a high-quality final. Weber has been the standout performer in 2025, leading the way with a throw of 91.51m, but has never won a major championship medal. Of the others, Neeraj and Nadeem won the last two Olympic titles, while Kenya’s Julius Yego (2016) and Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch (2020) have both won silvers on the biggest stage. Peters took bronze in Paris last summer, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott took Olympic gold in London (2012) and bronze in Rio de Janeiro (2016).

Most watching the event, which starts at 3:53PM IST on Thursday, will doubtless focus on the India-Pakistan rivalry though. Neeraj and Nadeem were once friends on the circuit, but in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the relationship has been strained. After India’s cricketers refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts before or after the Asia Cup cricket match in Dubai last Sunday, all eyes will be on Tokyo to see just how the two javelin legends greet each other, or don’t.

Neeraj is the defending champion, having won in Budapest (2023), following his silver behind Peters in Eugene (2022). Nadeem took silver last time round, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top when the Radcliffe Line rivalry resumes in less than 24 hours.