Neeraj Chopra aims to comeback stronger

Neeraj Chopra at the 2025 World Athletics Championships — Performance Overview

Neeraj Chopra qualified for the javelin final with a strong first throw of 84.85m in the qualification round. This met the automatic qualifying mark (84.50m) on his first attempt.
In the final, he managed a best throw of 84.03m (in his second attempt).
Unfortunately, he fouled on his fifth attempt and did not make it among the top six athletes who get to throw in the final round. That meant he finished in 8th place overall.
This marked the end of a very long streak of podium finishes for Chopra—he had been finishing in the top two in major javelin competitions continuously since June 2021.

He reportedly had been dealing with a back injury sustained around 4 September 2025. Shortly before the final, he stated that this injury adversely affected his performance.
Neeraj’s performance in the final was well below some of his other throws this season—he had exceeded 90m earlier in the year. The 84m range was relatively modest for him.
A bright spot for the Indian javelin contingent was Sachin Yadav, who threw a personal best 86.27m and finished 4th, narrowly missing out on a medal.

Chopra will need to address the injury and its impact. Physical health seems to have played a role in this result.
Technical consistency matters—making sure fewer fouls and better execution in all attempts can help in big finals.
The competition is getting stronger, with athletes like Sachin Yadav pushing the standard—India’s depth in javelin is looking promising.