Neeraj Chopra’s 7-Year Medal Streak Ends at World Athletics 2025, Finishes 8th Amid Injury in Tokyo

New Delhi (India) September 18: Defending champion Neeraj Chopra's hopes of winning the World Championships again were dashed in Tokyo on Thursday. The event takes place at the Olympic Stadium. It is the same location where he won his historic Olympic gold four years ago. The two-time Olympic medallist had to settle for an eighth-place result.

First International Event Without a Medal Since 2017

He did not win a medal from an international competition for the first time in seven years. It also put a stop to his incredible four-year run of placing in the top two at every major competition he participated in.

Neeraj discloses that he had a back injury. He had sustained it during training in the Czech Republic. The injury happened just two days prior to his departure for Tokyo.

Chopra Vows to Bounce Back Stronger Next Season

Chopra says, "It’s sport, it’s life. I am experiencing this after a long time. I generally manage situations and adapt to them well. Today was a bit different. Before coming here, when I was training in the Czech Republic, I had a back issue. A few people were aware of it. I had an issue with my back. I hadn’t trained in the last two weeks; I was only in rehab. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to compete in Tokyo. But still, we decided to go for it. I did only one session. I was able to land a good throw yesterday. I was hopeful of managing the situation, but I was not able to do it because I was away from training. I was not feeling very healthy. But whatever has happened today, I will learn from it. I will accept it and try to do better next season.”

Neeraj's best throw was 84.03 meters. It was less than his own personal best of 90.23 meters. He was eliminated in the fifth round of the final. He shouted in anger and appeared irritated after losing.

Neeraj made history in 2021 by winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. World record holder and javelin star Jan Zelezny is Neeraj Chopra's well-known coach. He was as shocked as the rest of the world when Neeraj finished in eighth place. 

Keshorn Walcott Wins Gold with 88.16m Throw

Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago won the men's javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with a throw of 88.16 meters. It should be noted that Walcott only started working out with Neeraj's old coach, Klaus Bartonietz, earlier this year. The two-time Olympian and his longtime coach, Klaus, separated in 2024.

Anderson Peters of Grenada won a silver medal with a throw of 87.38 meters. Curtis Thompson won bronze with an opening throw of 86.67 meters.