Neeraj Chopra World Championships 2025 Tokyo Final Highlights
India’s athletics star, Neeraj Chopra, faced one of the rare disappointments in his career at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo. On September 18, Chopra could manage only to finish eighth in the men’s javelin final. He was unable to defend his status as the world champion. The result left many astounded, given that he had never left the podium in seven years.
Neeraj’s Unbeaten Streak of Finishing Top Two is Over
Chopra’s unbeaten streak of finishing top two in major championships, beginning in 2018, is over. The streak is now over 33 contests and was achieved over a 2,566-day period, making it one of the most talked sports news headlines today of the fall in Tokyo. The last time he finished outside of the medal positions was in September 2018 in Ostrava.
This time he was best with a performance of 84.03m. This was well short of his maximum of 90.23m. With that performance, he slipped out of the top six, having failed to make a late recovery in the wet conditions.
Having Issues with Injuring Beforehand
In the aftermath of the event, Chopra admitted he was not at his best shape. Earlier this month he suffered a back injury while training in the Czech Republic during a shot put practice.
Additional scans revealed a disc issue that then led him to rehabilitation instead of participating in full training ahead of the final in Tokyo.
“I honestly did not think I was going to be here,” Chopra said, fully aware of how little he had prepared for the event. Even with physiotherapy and treatment, the injury stopped him from generating force on the runway engulfing maximum effort in the air.
A Day with Mixed Outcomes
The finals in Tokyo turned out to be unpredictable, and not just for Chopra. Major, universal brands had their own struggles:
- Olympic Champion Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan finished 10th.
- Global season leader, Julian Weber, finished fifth, even despite his recent ring dominance at the Diamond League.
On a positive note, Sachin Yadav from India was in fourth place and he achieved a personal best of 86.27m, which was just 40cm shy of winning a bronze medal. Chopra congratulated Yadav and stated he was happy for his fellow countrymen, even as he left the venue disappointed in performance.
Method, Weather, and Injury Analysis
Chopra acknowledged he was aware of the issue being more related to the injury and not the technique of the throw. His throws ranged from 83.65m, to 84.93m, a foul, then 82.86m, then another foul. He went up and down. Rain made things more difficult, and did not help either grip or runway conditions.
“I was not throwing as well on a few throws.” I was tilting a little to the left so as not to put too much strain on my back. “The rain made it worse,” Chopra said.
Still, he did not want to blame the weather or circumstance. “I do not make excuses.” The real issue was my back. “I was not in the best of physical shape.”
Learning from a Loss
For a champion like Neeraj Chopra, this setback is only a short stop in his incredible career. Famous for his perseverance, he told supporters he would learn from this experience and would return stronger.
“This is athletics, this is life.” “I’m going to take it, and try to come back better next season,” he said about finishing 8th at the World Athletics Championships 2025.
As Neeraj Chopra competes for an 8th place finish at the World Athletics Championships 2025, he has highlighted for the sporting community that all of even the most reliable are in a challenging spot. With the intent focused towards his recovery, fans in India and around the world will look forward to his return. In a rush to report what was, in the midst of international sports news, this defeat stood apart as one of the most discussed stories today, but also potentially opened a window for a more interesting story.
