Can Neeraj Chopra and Sachin Yadav Shine in the Final?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Neeraj Chopra advanced with a throw of 84.85m.
- Sachin Yadav achieved his personal best of 83.67m.
- India has two finalists in a marquee event.
- Arshad Nadeem continues to build on his rivalry with Chopra.
- The final will take place at 3:53 PM IST.
Tokyo, Sep 17 (NationPress) The defending champion Neeraj Chopra showcased his prowess once again at the World Athletics Championships, needing just a single throw to secure his place in the men’s javelin throw final here on Wednesday, launching the spear to 84.85m — well above the automatic qualifying standard of 84.50m.
Alongside him, fellow Indian Sachin Yadav delivered his career-best performance on this prestigious platform, ensuring India has two finalists in one of the championships' highlight events.
This marks the fifth consecutive occasion at a global competition where he achieved qualification on his first attempt, having done so at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, and the Paris Olympics last year.
Chopra’s remarkable consistency has become as noteworthy as his accolades. A double Olympic medallist, the 27-year-old is on the brink of defending his world title, which he first secured in Budapest two years ago with a throw of 88.17m — a historic moment as India’s inaugural athletics world champion.
Sachin Yadav, participating in Group A, faced a more challenging path to the final. He began with a modest 80.16m but found his rhythm to finish with 83.67m, placing 10th overall to earn a spot in the final 12. However, Rohit Yadav (77.81m) and Yash Vir Singh (77.51m) could not advance.
As Chopra and Yadav advanced, attention turned to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem. The 2023 World silver medallist and reigning Olympic champion from Paris threw the javelin to 85.28m to comfortably qualify.
This sets the stage for another exciting chapter in a rivalry that has captivated fans across the subcontinent. Nadeem outperformed Chopra at the Paris Olympics last year with an impressive 92.97m throw, while the Indian secured silver with 89.45m.
Germany’s Julian Weber also made an impact, bouncing back from an initial throw of 82.29m to achieve a season-best 87.21m on his second attempt. Both Weber and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva have surpassed Chopra on this year’s world list, although the Indian holds the national record at 90.23m, set in Doha earlier this season.
The final is slated to begin at 3:53 PM IST on Thursday.