Chopra sets up high-voltage clash with Nadeem

Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra wasted no time in stamping his authority at the World Athletics Championships, qualifying for the men’s javelin throw final with his very first attempt. The 27-year-old superstar cleared 84.85m on Wednesday, comfortably surpassing the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m.

Chopra, the first competitor to throw in Group A, sealed his spot in Thursday’s final without needing a second attempt. His effortless qualification underlined why he remains the biggest name in global javelin today. Only the top 12 athletes or those crossing the 84.50m standard advanced, but Chopra ensured he was in early, packing up after a single throw.

Joining him from Group A was Germany’s Julian Weber, who topped the charts with a superb 87.21m. Others in the group included seasoned campaigners like Keshorn Walcott, Jakub Vadlejch, and India’s Sachin Yadav. Group B, scheduled later in the day, features another heavyweight line-up with reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, two-time world champion Anderson Peters, Julius Yego, Luiz da Silva, Rohit Yadav, Yashvir Singh and Sri Lanka’s rising star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.

The final is set to be one of the most anticipated contests of the championships. In Budapest last year, Chopra clinched gold with an 88.17m throw, ahead of Nadeem (87.82m) and Vadlejch (86.67m). This time, he is chasing history: a chance to become only the third male javelin thrower to defend a world title. The legendary Jan Zelezny, now Chopra’s coach, achieved the feat in 1993 and 1995, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters did it in 2019 and 2022.

Adding spice to the showdown is Chopra’s long-awaited clash with Nadeem, their first since the 2024 Paris Olympics. That night in France, Nadeem stole the spotlight with a mammoth 92.97m effort, relegating Chopra to silver despite his strong 89.45m throw. Tokyo now offers Chopra a shot at redemption and a chance to underline his dominance yet again on the world stage.