Neeraj Chopra Prepares For High-Stakes Final Without Expending Much Energy

Last Updated:September 18, 2025, 00:19 IST

Neeraj Chopra qualified for his third World Championships Javelin Throw final in Tokyo with an effortless initial throw of 84.85m, setting up for a clash against Arshad Nadeem.

Neeraj Chopra at the 2025 World Athletics Championships (AFP)

Neeraj Chopra’s precise planning and perfect execution on Wednesday would have done an experienced surgeon proud.

Just as the doctor would know the exact length of an incision to make, Chopra knew how to expend only as much energy as was needed to attain his primary objective of making it to his third successive World Championships men’s Javelin Throw final.

Three of the seven automatic qualifiers got their season’s best throws but in Tokyo on Wednesday, the distance travelled by the Javelin did not matter. There are no medals for qualification, and the only thing that massive throws do is make some psychological statements. But this is a largely seasoned field, and moral victories count for little.

There was one primary task to be accomplished: the invisible arc at 84.50m had to be crossed at the earliest rather than risk draining energy in sapping conditions. Neeraj Chopra checked out early, met the demands of global media, and headed to his hotel to begin his preparation for one of the most anticipated finals in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

That he was conserving his energy in hot and humid conditions was evident from the manner in which he did just what was needed of him. Just a couple of warm-up throws preceded an effort of 84.85m. He slipped into his tracksuit, packed his bag, and headed back before many of the 19 athletes in his qualification group could complete their three attempts.

In the mixed zone, he was candid in admitting that while he did not feel the pressure of completing a hat-trick of World Championships medals, he had not been where he would have liked to be. Yet, the fierce competitor in him remains confident that he will script a good throw on Thursday. “This is a big platform, and I believe I can do well in such a situation," he said.

While he was one of the two athletes on Wednesday who needed just one throw each to secure a place in the final, Paris 2024 Olympic Games Champion Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan) huffed and puffed in the other qualification group. As the Pakistani rushed past the media scrum in the mixed zone, it was obvious that he was not satisfied with his efforts.

With two throws below the 77m mark, he had to strain his every sinew to catapult himself into the big match with an attempt over 85.28m. It would be tempting to view this final against an India-Pakistan backdrop, but that would be not only grossly unfair to the other competitors but also showcase a lack of game sense.

Two of the finalists have thrown past the 90m mark this season. Julian Webber (Germany) tops the Indian in that short list. Besides Grenada’s Anderson Peters, the man who won gold in Doha 2019 and Eugene 2022, Kenya’s Julius Yego has the experience of winning a World Championship gold medal.

To be sure, the final is a different ball game. The thrower who has had the best recovery session on Wednesday, gets to the Japan National Stadium with the optimum preparation and brings his A game – both physical and mental – can fancy his chances of making it to the podium. And there are a bunch of clutch performers in the fray, raising visions of a high-energy battle.

With a best effort of 83.67m, Sachin Yadav was among the five who did not breach the automatic qualification mark but secured tickets to the final. He showed consistency with each of the three throws crossing the 80m mark. If he was nervous about his maiden competition at the global level, he showed no signs at all.

On a night when Triple Jumpers Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker came up with contrasting performances when not qualifying for the final, and when Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh did not join their compatriots Neeraj Chopra and Sachin Yadav in the Javelin title clash, sprinter Animesh Kujur’s candour about his final race of a long season was refreshing.

The men’s Javelin Throw final on Thursday promises to be a nerve-wracking contest among some of the best contemporary throwers. World Athletics has done well to ensure that no other final runs at the same time. Indeed, if any field event can command eyeballs in our part of the world, it is the men’s Javelin Throw competition.

The final line-up (5.53 pm IST): Anderson Peters (Grenada), Julian Weber (Germany), Julius Yego (Kenya), David Wegner (Poland), Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan), Neeraj Chopra (India), Curtis Thompson (United States), Jakub Vadlech (Czechia), Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad & Tobago), Sachin Yadav (India), Cameron McEntyre (Australia) and Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (Sri Lanka).

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