Neeraj Chopra, India’s javelin champion, will start his World Championship title defence in the qualification round on Wednesday. He faces tough competition from Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem and Germany’s Diamond League champion Julian Weber. Chopra aims to join an elite group as the third male javelin thrower to defend a World Championships title. Only Czech legend Jan Zelezny and Grenada’s Anderson Peters have achieved consecutive world championships victories.This competition marks the first encounter between Chopra and Nadeem since the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the Olympics, Nadeem secured gold with a throw of 92.97m, while Chopra earned silver with 89.45m.The anticipated Chopra-Nadeem clash will not occur during Wednesday’s qualifying round as they are placed in different groups. Their potential face-off is expected in Thursday’s final round.The competition features an impressive lineup including Weber, Peters, Kenya’s Julius Yego, Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva.India makes history with four athletes in the competition: Neeraj Chopra, Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav. This represents the highest number of participants from any country in the event.Chopra received automatic entry as defending champion, while the other three Indians qualified through world rankings.
Group A
The qualification round divides athletes into two groups. Group A includes Chopra, Weber, Walcott, Vadlejch, and Sachin among 19 competitors. Group B consists of 18 athletes, including Nadeem, Peters, Yego, Da Silva, Rohit, Yashvir, and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.
Group B
Qualification requires reaching the automatic qualifying mark of 84.50m or finishing among the top 12 performers. The final round is scheduled for Thursday.At the previous championship in Budapest, Chopra won gold with an 88.17m throw. Nadeem claimed silver with 87.82m, and Vadlejch secured bronze with 86.67m.The 27-year-old Chopra faces a challenging defense at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, where he previously won historic Olympic gold in 2021.Chopra achieved a season-best throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League in May. However, his performances have varied throughout the year, with several throws under 85m and his second-best effort being 88.16m.Weber enters as a favorite based on current form. The 31-year-old German has exceeded 90m three times this year and leads the world with a 91.51m throw. His recent Diamond League trophy victory adds to his momentum.Weber holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Chopra this season. Their last meeting at the Diamond League Final saw Chopra finish second with an 85.01m throw.Nadeem’s preparation includes limited competition experience. His only event this season was the Asian Championships in South Korea, where he won gold with an 86.40m throw. He underwent calf muscle surgery in England in July.The Asian Championships marked Nadeem’s sole competition since his Paris Olympics victory. Similarly, before the Olympics, he had competed in just one event in 2024.The men’s javelin competition draws significant attention from Indian athletics fans following last year’s success. The 2023 Budapest championship saw three Indians in the final round, with Chopra winning gold while Kishore Jena and DP Manu finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
