Neeraj Chopra Ready to Defend World Javelin Title in Tokyo Showdown
Neeraj Chopra aims to defend his world javelin title in Tokyo.
India’s javelin icon Neeraj Chopra is set to chase history at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, aiming to become only the third men’s javelin thrower to secure consecutive world titles. Having clinched gold in 2023 in Budapest with an 88.17m throw, the 27-year-old, who leads a 19-member Indian team as the sole medal favorite, faces immense expectations. A victory in the finals on September 18 would place him alongside legends Jan Zelezny (1993, 1995), now his coach, and Grenada’s Anderson Peters (2019, 2022).
Chopra, a two-time Olympic medalist, will confront a formidable field, including Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, who earned silver in 2023, and Czech veteran Jakub Vadlejch, the bronze medalist. The event, held in the same Tokyo stadium where Chopra won Olympic gold in 2021, features global stars like Germany’s Julian Weber, the Diamond League champion with a world-leading 91.51m throw, alongside Peters, Kenya’s Julius Yego, Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva, who recently threw 91m. The qualifying round is scheduled for September 17.
Despite a 90m throw at the Doha Diamond League in May, Chopra’s season has been uneven, with two sub-85m performances and a second-place finish (85.01m) behind Weber in last month’s Diamond League Final, where he trails 1-3 in head-to-head matchups. His second-best throw this year was 88.16m.
Also Read: Neeraj Chopra Faces Arshad Nadeem in Javelin Showdown at Tokyo Worlds
India’s javelin contingent includes Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav, with Chopra competing as a wildcard defending champion. The event carries high hopes after 2023, when Chopra, Kishore Jena, and DP Manu reached the final, finishing first, fifth, and sixth, respectively.
Other Indian athletes, including Annu Rani (women’s javelin), Parul Chaudhary (women’s 3000m steeplechase), Murali Sreeshankar (men’s long jump), Gulveer Singh (men’s 5000m), and Praveen Chithravel (men’s triple jump), aim to reach their finals. Rani, in her fifth World Championships, targets a better result than her seventh-place finish in 2022, with a season-best of 62.59m. Sreeshankar, returning from injury, needs to surpass his 8.05m season-best for a medal chance. National record holders Animesh Kujur (men’s 200m) and Tejas Shirse (men’s 110m hurdles) make their championship debuts.
India’s campaign begins Saturday with the men’s and women’s 35km race walk, featuring Ram Baboo, Sandeep Kumar, and Priyanka Goswami, followed by Pooja’s 1500m heat in the evening. As Chopra carries the nation’s hopes, his pursuit of a second world title promises to captivate Indian athletics fans.
Also Read: Neeraj Chopra Faces Arshad Nadeem in Javelin Showdown at Tokyo Worlds
