Neeraj Chopra Sails into World Championships Final with Stunning First Throw
Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra qualifies for the men’s javelin final with an 84.85m throw
India’s javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra secured his spot in the World Championships final with a commanding 84.85m throw on his first attempt in Group A of the qualification round on Wednesday. The 27-year-old, a two-time Olympic medalist and defending champion, surpassed the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m, wrapping up his session early.
Competing alongside German standout Julian Weber (87.21m), Keshorn Walcott, Jakub Vadlejch, and India’s Sachin Yadav in the 19-man Group A, Chopra set the tone as the first thrower. The top 12 performers or those clearing 84.50m advance to Thursday’s final, where Chopra will face fierce competition, including Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, Anderson Peters, and others from Group B.
Chopra, coached by Czech legend Jan Zelezny, aims to join Zelezny (1993, 1995) and Peters (2019, 2022) as the only men to defend their World Championships javelin title. His 88.17m throw won gold in Budapest last year, ahead of Nadeem (87.82m) and Vadlejch (86.67m).
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This final marks Chopra’s first clash with Pakistan’s Nadeem since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Nadeem claimed gold with a record-breaking 92.97m, while Chopra took silver with 89.45m. With redemption on the line, all eyes are on Chopra to reclaim his dominance in Tokyo’s javelin showdown.
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