Neeraj Chopra's Title Defense Falls Short as Walcott Shines in Tokyo
Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic gold medallist, faced a surprising defeat at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, finishing eighth in javelin. Trinidad's Keshorn Walcott triumphed, claiming gold with an 88.16 m throw. Sachin Yadav emerged as India's top performer, finishing fourth with a best throw of 85.96 m.
- Country:
- Japan
In an unexpected outcome at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's quest to defend his title ended in an eighth-place finish, a stark contrast to his prior record of 26 consecutive top-two placements. Chopra's compatriot, Sachin Yadav, impressed with a fourth-place finish, making him the nation's best performer in the event.
The championship unfolded dramatically, with Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott seizing the spotlight by securing the gold medal with a remarkable 88.16-meter throw. This victory marks Walcott's first World Championship gold 13 years post his Olympic triumph in London. Following him, Anderson Peters claimed silver with an 87.38-meter throw, while Curtis Thompson from the USA took bronze with 86.67 meters.
Despite the highly-anticipated showdown between Indian and Pakistani javelin throwers, neither Neeraj Chopra nor Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem delivered their best performances. Nadeem ended in tenth place, failing to advance from his initial throw of 82.73 meters. As the championship progressed, the competition remained fierce, but Walcott's record throw remained unbeaten.
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