It’s not how I had hoped to end the season: Neeraj Chopra after finishing 8th at Worlds

Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra expressed his disappointment after finishing eighth in the men’s final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, admitting that the result was far from the way he had imagined ending his season.

The defending champion, who had clinched gold in Budapest two years ago, managed a best throw of 84.03m at the National Stadium, well below his usual standards. This marked his first finish outside the top three at any competition since the 2018 Continental Cup in Czechia, where he placed sixth.

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“It’s not how I had hoped to end the season, at the World Championships in Tokyo. I wanted to step out there and give my best for India despite all the challenges but it wasn’t my night,” the two-time Olympic medallist wrote on Instagram.

Chopra’s remarkable streak of 26 successive podium finishes came to an end, but the evening also offered India plenty to cheer. Making his Worlds debut, 23-year-old Sachin Yadav produced a sensational performance, finishing fourth with a personal best of 86.27m, just 40 centimetres shy of the bronze medal.

London Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago claimed gold with a season-best 88.16m, while two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada (87.38m) and the USA’s Curtis Thompson (86.67m) took silver and bronze, respectively.

Neeraj praised Sachin’s effort and congratulated the medal winners. “Really happy for @sachin_javelin_, who threw a personal best and almost brought home a medal. Congratulations to @goldenwalcott, @anderson_peters1 and @curt_thompson on their well-deserved podium places,” he wrote.

The World Championships was Chopra’s seventh competition of 2025. Earlier this year, he secured four titles, including the Paris Diamond League and the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru.

“Grateful for all your support – this only makes me determined to come back stronger,” he concluded.