Budapest: The men’s javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2025 ended in heartbreak for India as defending champion Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem were knocked out before the final rounds.

India’s rising star Sachin Yadav, however, delivered a spirited performance, recording a best throw of 85.96m to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal.

Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad & Tobago clinched the gold medal with a powerful throw, while Anderson Peters of Grenada secured silver and Curtis Thompson of the USA took bronze. Sachin Yadav, who had earlier stunned with a throw of 86.27m, could not improve on his mark in the later attempts.

Neeraj Chopra, who was aiming to defend his title, managed 83.65m in his first attempt and 84.03m in his second but fouled his third, falling short of qualification. Arshad Nadeem, who had thrown 82.73m, also bowed out after successive fouls.

Sachin Yadav has been one of the brightest prospects for India this season, having won a silver medal at the Asian Championships earlier this year with a throw of 85.16m. Despite narrowly missing the podium, his consistent performance indicates India’s strong presence in global javelin events.

This edition of the championships was widely anticipated as the first meeting between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem since the latter edged Chopra to win Olympic gold in 2024.