India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra endured a disappointing night at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, finishing a surprising eighth in the men’s javelin final. Returning to the Japan National Stadium—where he made history by winning Olympic gold in 2021—Chopra struggled to find his rhythm, recording a best throw of just 84.03m.

Expectations were high for the 27-year-old, who was aiming to defend his world title and extend a remarkable run of consistency. But Chopra, though looking physically fit, was unable to breach the 85m mark across all six attempts. Each failed throw saw the usually composed athlete grow visibly frustrated, as the hope of back-to-back world titles slowly faded.

Chopra's eighth-place finish marked the end of a dominant streak that had lasted since June 2021. In the past four years, he had never finished outside the top two in any competition—a record that included 26 consecutive podium finishes. That incredible run finally came to an end on Wednesday night.

His fifth attempt, where he lost balance and crossed the foul line, seemed to symbolise the evening’s struggle. The error not only nullified the throw but also effectively ended any realistic chance of a comeback.

Adding to the disappointment, Chopra wasn’t even India’s top performer on the night. That distinction went to Sachin Yadav, who stunned the field with a powerful 86.27m throw in his very first attempt, narrowly missing out on a medal and finishing fourth—just outside the podium.

This year’s final saw fierce competition. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion, captured his first World Championships gold with an 88.16m effort on his fourth attempt. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada secured silver with 87.38m, while USA’s Curtis Thompson claimed bronze with a throw of 86.67m.

In contrast to the 2023 edition in Budapest—where Chopra won gold and fellow Indians Kishore Jena and DP Manu finished fifth and sixth—this year’s outing ended in heartbreak for India’s top javelin thrower.

As the Olympic champion regroups from this rare off-day, all eyes will now turn to how he bounces back in the upcoming season.