Defending champion Neeraj Chopra wasted no time in booking his spot in the men’s javelin throw final at the World Championships in Tokyo on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Olympic star cleared the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m on his very first attempt, throwing an impressive 84.85m.
Neeraj Chopra Qualifies For World Championships Finals
Neeraj Chopra was the very first thrower of Group A and packed up immediately after securing qualification. According to the rules, anyone who crosses 84.50m or finishes among the top 12 qualifies for the final, which will take place on Thursday.
Neeraj Chopra was grouped with some big names, including German star Julian Weber, who also qualified comfortably with a throw of 87.21m. Others in the 19-man Group A lineup were Keshorn Walcott, Jakub Vadlejch, and India’s Sachin Yadav.
Big Names Await in Group B
The competition in Group B is no less fierce. Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem leads the pack, joined by Anderson Peters, Julius Yego, Luiz Da Silva, Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Sri Lanka’s rising talent Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, among others.
Looking Back at Budapest Glory
In the previous edition held in Budapest, Neeraj Chopra delivered a brilliant 88.17m throw to win the gold medal. That time, Arshad Nadeem secured silver with 87.82m and Jakub Vadlejch clinched bronze with 86.67m.
Eyeing Rare Back-to-Back World Titles
Neeraj Chopra now has a chance to join an elite club of athletes who have defended their World Championships gold in javelin. So far, only Czech legend Jan Zelezny, who is currently Chopra’s coach, and Anderson Peters have achieved this feat. Zelezny won in 1993 and 1995, while Peters managed it in 2019 and 2022.
A Rivalry Renewed
Fans are especially excited as Chopra is set to go head-to-head with Arshad Nadeem for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics. That night in Paris, Nadeem stole the show with a massive 92.97m throw to take gold, while Chopra had to settle for silver despite a strong 89.45m effort. Tokyo now offers him the perfect stage to bounce back.
