Chopra, despite 90.23m in Doha, has shown inconsistency; his second-best throw is 88.16m
Tokyo
Olympic champion and defending World Athletics title holder Neeraj Chopra made a confident start at the World Championships, securing his place in the javelin final with his very first attempt on Wednesday. Chopra, 27, hurled the spear to 84.85m, comfortably surpassing the automatic qualification mark of 84.5m.
The Indian star, who won gold in Budapest in 2023, entered this edition with a wild card. His effort mirrored the Tokyo Olympics of 2021 at the same venue, where he also qualified on his opening attempt before winning historic gold. Chopra is aiming to become only the third male javelin thrower ever to defend a World Championships crown.
Germany’s Julian Weber, the Diamond League champion, initially faltered with an 82.29m throw but secured his final spot on the second attempt with 87.21m. Weber, with a season-best 91.51m, is expected to be a strong challenger in the final.
Other contenders in Group A included Trinidad and Tobago’s 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, Czech star Jakub Vadlejch, and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva. Group B features reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, former world champion Anderson Peters, and Sri Lankan youngster Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. India fields its largest-ever javelin squad, with Chopra joined by Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav.
Chopra, who breached the 90m mark earlier this year with 90.23m in Doha, has shown some inconsistency, occasionally falling below 85m. His second-best throw of 2025 remains 88.16m. The challenge in Tokyo will not be easy, as Weber and Nadeem both bring strong credentials.
