Neeraj Chopra endured a forgettable outing in the World Championships men's javelin throw finals at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo on Thursday, which saw him finish eighth. Chopra was eliminated after the fifth throw, with his best attempt recorded at 84.03m. This was the same venue where he had won a historic Olympic gold medal in 2021.
Moments after his elimination, a video surfaced online where the Indian javelin star was spotted seating alone at the venue, possibly reflecting on his performance, which he entered as the defending champion.
Chopra started with an attempt of 83.65 meters in the opening round, and could only improve to 84.03 meters in his next throw before fouling his third throw.
Renowned for his consistency, Chopra’s failure to clear 85m in five attempts comes as a major shock to many fans.
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Speaking to World Athletics post-event, the 27-year-old noted: “I don’t understand what happened today. This has not happened for a long time. I had some problems before coming to Tokyo. Two weeks ago I had some back issues but I didn’t want to tell anyone. I was thinking I would still manage to get through it.
"But javelin is really tough. If you are not in a good shape, you’re out. It’s OK. I will learn from today. Maybe I need more training or to improve my technique. Maybe I just need more time for training.”
Chopra enjoyed a good season throughout, which also saw him breach the elusive 90m mark at the Doha Diamond League in May.
Meanwhile, Sachin Yadav, another Indian part of the final, made an instant impression but failed to finish in the top 3. With an attempt of 86.27m, which is his personal best, he came fourth.
In other results, reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished tenth, with his best throw recorded at 82.75m. Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott won the gold medal with a best attempt of 88.16m, he was followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters, who recorded 87.38m, and USA's Curtis Thompson secured bronze with 86.67m throw.
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