What went wrong for Neeraj Chopra in the World Championships final: An uncommon defeat

It was one of the biggest shocks in India‘s recent sporting history. Neeraj Chopra had made winning a habit, so much so that many thought it was a given he would finish on the podium in every event. However, a 33-tournament streak that stretched over 2,566 days came to a heartbreaking end when Neeraj Chopra failed to defend his World Championships title in the men’s javelin final at Tokyo on Thursday, 18 September 2025.

For the past four years, Neeraj had finished in the top two of every event he competed in. The last time he failed to win a medal was on 9 September 2018 in Ostrava, when he finished sixth. Since his historic Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020, Neeraj had been on a spree second only to legendary javelin thrower Jan Zelezny, who is now his coach.

Neeraj Chopra finishes 8th in Tokyo

In the Tokyo final, Neeraj finished eighth in the 12-man field, producing a best effort of 84.03m — far short of his personal best of 90.23m achieved earlier this year in Doha. He struggled with his run-up and blocking, and his final throw series read: 83.65m, 84.93m, foul, 82.86m, foul. Only the top six throwers advanced to the final round, leaving Neeraj out of medal contention in the very stadium where he won India’s first Olympic athletics gold four years ago.

Back injury before World Championships

Two days before leaving for Tokyo, Neeraj suffered a disc-related back injury during a shot put drill in the Czech Republic, where he trains under Jan Zelezny. In a video interview with NNIS, Neeraj admitted he was unsure of competing and had even informed the Athletics Federation of India. After consulting with his coach and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha, he decided to give it a shot.

“Before coming here, I had an issue with my back. I hadn’t trained for two weeks, I was only in rehab. Scans in the Czech Republic showed a disc problem. In Tokyo, I was treated daily by a local physician while also working with my physio. I did one training session, and I thought I could manage, but it was not enough,” Neeraj said.

🚨 Neeraj sat alone after his 5th throw, quietly reflecting on what went wrong today. 💔

The same stadium but without crowd and a drizzle just like today, had given India its first-ever Olympic gold in athletics at Tokyo 2020.

But today, on the same runway, Neeraj failed to… pic.twitter.com/8L0m1ImwQ1

— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) September 18, 2025

A tough day for big names

Tokyo proved challenging for many top throwers. The 2012 Olympic champion (working with Neeraj’s former coach Klaus Bartonietz) clinched gold with 88.16m. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, the reigning Olympic champion, finished 10th with a best throw under 83m. World leader Julian Weber, fresh from a 91m+ throw at the Diamond League final, managed only 86.11m to finish fifth.

The brightest surprise came from India’s Sachin Yadav. The 25-year-old, making his World Championships debut, finished fourth with a lifetime best of 86.27m — just 40 cm short of bronze. He produced three throws beyond his previous personal best, earning Neeraj’s praise for his remarkable performance.

How the injury affected Neeraj

Neeraj admitted that it was not new technique but his injury that disrupted his rhythm. He struggled on the runway, stumbling after blocking and leaning left to protect his back. Rain midway through the competition worsened grip conditions, leaving him unable to attempt a big final throw.

“When I am fit, I always believe a big throw will come. Today that belief wasn’t there. I was being safe, thinking about my back. When the rain came, my grip was gone. The runway was slippery. But I don’t give excuses — it was my back injury that kept me from performing,” Neeraj said.

No excuses, looking ahead

Neeraj refused to blame the weather or conditions: “I’ve thrown well in rain, against the wind, in heat and cold. That’s not the issue. The truth is I wasn’t at my best physically, and that affected my mindset.” He added that despite the setback, he is determined to return stronger: “I will learn from this, accept it, and come back next season. It can’t end like this.”

The eighth-place finish was Neeraj Chopra’s first time off the podium in seven years. Yet his resilience, honesty, and determination set the stage for a stronger comeback — as India’s greatest javelin star prepares for the next chapter of his career.