Neeraj Chopra Qualifies For World Championships Final With First Throw, Sets Up Clash Against Arshad Nadeem

Defending champion Neeraj Chopra will face Pakistan's Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem in the World Championships finals in a much-anticipated clash between the two cross-border rivals, as the duo made the cut in contrasting styles in the qualification round in Tokyo on Wednesday. While Chopra stormed into the finals after clearing the automatic qualification mark of 84.50m in his very first throw in Group A, Nadeem (85.28m) spent some anxious time before making the grade in his third and final attempt later in Group B. According to the rules, those who meet the automatic qualifying mark of 84.50m or finish in the top 12 compete in the final round to be held on Thursday. Chopra is set to face Nadeem for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics, giving him a chance to avenge his second-place finish in the French capital. Nadeem had won gold in Paris with a monster throw of 92.97m, while Chopra had a best of 89.45m that night.

Nadeem has come into the showpiece after competing in just one event in all of 2025, winning gold at the Asian Championships in Korea in May. He then underwent knee surgery in July.

Sachin Yadav also joined Chopra in the finals as the second Indian after his 83.67m effort placed him sixth in Group A and 10th overall. Two other Indians, Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, missed out after finishing 28th and 30th, respectively, out of 37 competitors in Groups A and B combined.

In the last edition in 2023, India had three javelin throwers in the finals, with Kishore Jena and DP Manu finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, while Chopra won the gold.

The 27-year-old Chopra was the first thrower in the qualification round, and he sent his spear to 84.85m without much exertion. Having achieved the objective of making it to the final with minimal effort, the two-time Olympic medalist packed up and left the arena.

He was third in Group A and sixth overall, but that did not matter on the day.

"I feel really good that I achieved automatic qualification in the first round. Tomorrow is the main day. This is the main competition (of the year)," Chopra was quoted as saying by Olympic Khel.

"I feel good (coming into the World Championships). I crossed 90m this year and am working on my technique (with coach Jan Zelezny). I just need to stay healthy and focused for the final. I am ready." Asked about not competing for nearly two months before the Diamond League Finals on August 28, he said, "I did my training because I did not train enough, and I felt like, okay, I need some training. I did not feel, okay, I am ready for competition. That is why I took some time and trained for the DL (Finals)."

Nadeem, on the other hand, began with a horrendous 76.99m and followed it up with a 74.17m. For a while, it seemed that Nadeem, who had also won silver in the last edition in 2023 behind Chopra, would not make it to the finals.

But the 28-year-old pulled off an 85.28m throw in his third and final attempt to be the fourth automatic qualifier for the finals from Group B. He qualified for the finals in fifth place, just above Chopra.

Chopra has been grouped with German star Julian Weber, who topped Group A and was second overall with a throw of 87.21m, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, last edition's bronze winner Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, and Sachin in the 19-man Group A on Wednesday.

The 18-strong Group B featured Nadeem, two-time world champion Anderson Peters, Kenya's 2015 world champion Julius Yego, Brazilian 90m-plus thrower Luiz Da Silva, and Indians Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, along with rising Sri Lankan Rumesh Pathirage, among others.

Peters topped the qualification round with a season-best throw of 89.53m, giving enough indication that he could be roaring back to form after an indifferent season.

Dawid Wegner (85.67m) of Poland also reached the finals as the third automatic qualifier from Group A. Besides Peters and Nadeem, Kenya's Julius Yego (85.96m) and Curtis Thompson (84.72m) of the USA crossed the automatic qualification mark from Group B.

Vadlejch (84.11m), Walcott (83.93m), and Cameron McEntyre (83.03m) of Australia, along with Pathirage (82.80m), completed the 12-man field for the final.

In the last edition in Budapest, Chopra had thrown 88.17m to win the gold, while Nadeem (87.82m) and Vadlejch (86.67m) had pocketed silver and bronze, respectively.

Chopra Aims to Become Third Male Javelin Thrower in History to Defend Title

Czech legend Zelezny (1993, 1995) and Peters (2019, 2022) are the other two who have won the crown on two consecutive occasions.

On form, Weber will be the frontrunner for the gold, as he has been the most consistent this season. The 31-year-old German has sent the spear to 90m-plus distances three times this year.

He is the world leader with 91.51m, and his confidence is high after winning the Diamond League trophy last month.

In head-to-head competition against Weber this season, Chopra trails 1-3, finishing second behind the German in last month's DL Final.

Chopra breached the coveted 90m mark with a 90.23m throw at the Doha DL in May, but the year has also seen the Indian superstar logging some mediocre distances.

Nadeem may be short on competitive outings ahead of the World Championships, but he is capable of producing a winning throw as he did in the Paris Games last year. Before the Olympics, too, he had participated in just one event in the whole of 2024.

Thursday's fight for gold could see fierce competition among Chopra, Weber, Nadeem, and Peters.