Sachin Yadav Misses World Championship Medal Despite Career-Best Throw

In a stunning debut at the World Championships in Tokyo, India’s emerging javelin throw talent Sachin Yadav outperformed celebrated athletes like two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra (84.03m), reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem (82.75m), and Diamond League trophy winner Julian Weber (86.11m). Despite a personal best throw of 86.27m in the first round, Yadav narrowly missed a bronze medal, finishing just 40cm behind the USA’s Curtis Thompson (86.67m). The 25-year-old expressed deep disappointment, telling PTI from Tokyo, “I let slip a World Championships medal.”

Yadav’s opening throw of 86.27m, which bettered his previous personal best of 85.16m from the Asian Championships silver in May, set high expectations. “The moment I saw my javelin land, I thought I can win a medal. I was confident I would pull off at least one throw of 87m,” he said. However, his subsequent throws—a foul, followed by 85.71m, 84.90m, 85.96m, and 80.95m—could not surpass his initial mark. “I was competing against the world’s best, and naturally your performance gets better. But I could not improve my first throw despite trying my best,” he added.

Hailing from a farming family in Khekra village near Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, Yadav also shared his sadness for Chopra, the defending champion, who struggled with back pain and was eliminated after the fifth round. “Me and Neeraj bhai kept talking during the final. After my first throw, he told me we should get two medals. I knew he was dealing with a back problem, but he must have hoped to pull off a good throw. I felt sad for him. It was the first time he was not on the podium since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021,” Yadav said.

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Yadav’s parents, unaware of the intricacies of athletics or the World Championships, were surprised when photojournalists visited their village home after his performance. “My parents are happy but don’t think much about World Championships or medals. They just wanted me to get a government job. For the first time, media came to our house and took photographs,” he shared. Now employed with the UP Police under the sports quota since 2023, Yadav has overcome financial struggles, including loans his father took for his treatment after an elbow injury in 2021. “I am injury-prone. I had an elbow injury when I started javelin and another later. Early this year, I twisted my ankle at the Uttarakhand National Games,” he revealed. Support from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and sponsor OGQ has eased his financial burdens.

Yadav’s meteoric rise began without a qualified coach. Introduced to javelin by his neighbor Sandeep Yadav, who noticed his bowling speed during a village cricket match, he only began training under renowned coach Naval Singh last year. Singh has mentored Olympian Shivpal Singh and Paralympic gold-winners Sumit Antil and Navdeep Singh.

Looking ahead, Yadav is likely to shift his training base from Delhi’s National Centre of Excellence to Patiala or Bengaluru, where national chief javelin coach Sergey Makarov, a former Olympic medallist, is based. “Sachin is a raw talent, lacking international experience. He throws 90m in training. With polishing in technique and more experience, he will throw farther,” said Lalit Bhanot, head of the Athletics Federation of India’s Planning Commission. Bhanot added, “Besides Neeraj, he is our medal hope in global events. Now with Neeraj and Sachin, we can win two javelin medals.”

Yadav remains open to competing in the prestigious Diamond League next season, leaving decisions to his coaches and the federation. “Once we reach India, my coaches and the authorities will decide. I have to follow their decision,” he said. As India’s javelin scene gains depth, Yadav’s Tokyo performance signals a bright future, even as he grapples with the one that got away.

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