Chopra, who entered the competition as one of the favourites, began with a promising throw of 83.65m, placing him temporarily in second position behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters. However, the Indian ace struggled to build momentum as the final progressed
Neeraj Chopra (Pic: AFP)
In a surprising turn of events at the World Athletics Championships final, Olympic gold medallist and defending world champion Neeraj Chopra bowed out of contention after five underwhelming attempts, finishing in eighth place with a best throw of 84.03 metres.
Chopra, who entered the competition as one of the favourites, began with a promising throw of 83.65m, placing him temporarily in second position behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters. However, the Indian ace struggled to build momentum as the final progressed. He managed 84.03m on his second attempt, his best of the night, but failed to improve further. A foul on his third attempt and modest marks in the subsequent rounds added to his frustration, and he was visibly disappointed after his fifth and final effort measured just 82.86m.
The result marks a rare early exit for Chopra, whose consistency and calm under pressure have defined his career. Unable to break into the top ranks during the critical phases of the competition, he failed to qualify for the final two rounds, which are reserved for the top eight throwers after the first three rounds.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem also faced elimination after recording a best throw of 82.75m, falling short of the top-eight cutoff. His campaign ended after he was unable to recover from a foul on his second attempt, and he exited the arena without posing a serious threat to the medal contenders.
With Chopra and Nadeem both out of the running, India’s attention has shifted to the promising Sachin Yadav, who has quietly emerged as a strong medal contender. The 25-year-old, who earlier stunned the field with a personal best of 86.27m, delivered a solid fifth-round effort of 85.96m, keeping him in fourth position heading into the final round.
Yadav's performance has kept India’s hopes alive in what has otherwise been a disappointing evening for the nation's most celebrated javelin athlete., making only his second major international appearance.
More to follow...
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