Neeraj Chopra disappoints in World Athletics Championships; new star Sachin Yadav finishes fourth

Tokyo:

Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra failed to defend his crown in the World Athletics Championships. The 27-year-old had a decent season, finishing second in the Diamond League in Zurich. However, in Tokyo, he failed to live up to his potential, being knocked out in the fourth round of the final. His highest was recorded in the second round at 84.03 metres, and after which, Neeraj tried his best but looked frustrated with his attempts.

In his final throw of the night, Neeraj disqualified himself after not landing correctly. He was highly disappointed with himself and was eliminated from the competition. However, on a night when Neeraj disappointed, a new star was born in Indian javelin. Sachin Yadav, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, hit 86.27 in his first attempt. He was second for a while in the race, but ended up finishing fourth.

Notably, Sachin first made the headlines at the 63rd National Open Athletics Championships in Bengaluru in 2024. Since then, he has been pretty consistent, and with a throw of 83.67, he qualified for the finals of the World Athletics Championship. In the summit clash, he impressed everyone with consistent throws over the 85-metre barrier, but couldn’t topple Curtis Thompson, who finished third in the tournament.

Keshorn Walcott wins gold

Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott won gold at the World Athletics Championships. He is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, having won gold in 2012 in London. In Tokyo, he hit 88.16 metres and secured gold for himself. Meanwhile, Anderson Peters, who has been extremely consistent in the last couple of years, finished second.

Rankings in World Athletics Championships