New Delhi: The much-awaited showdown between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem, their first in over a year, did not happen as expected in Thursday’s World Championships final. Pakistan’s Olympic winner and 2023 silver medalist Arshad Nadeem was one of the early throwers to leave, getting out in the fourth round with a best throw of 82.75m.
Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion who has been dealing with back pain, had a tough night in the men’s javelin final and finished in eighth place, his lowest result since his big win at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
What was Arshad Nadeem’s message?
“Dear Pakistanis, I want to thank each and every one of you for your unwavering support and love throughout the World Athletics Championships. Although I couldn’t achieve the result I had hoped for in the final, I am proud to have represented our nation on the biggest stage.
“Your prayers, messages, and encouragement mean the world to me. I know I let you all down, but I promise to come back stronger and work even harder to make you proud.
“To be honest, I’ve been dealing with an injury since July 4th, which affected my preparation and fitness level. Despite this challenge, I gave it my all, and I appreciate the experience.
“Thank you for believing in me and supporting me on this journey. I will keep pushing myself to achieve greatness, not just for myself, but for our nation. With love and gratitude, Arshad Nadeem,” he said.
What about Neeraj Chopra?
For Indian fans, the result was surprising. Neeraj Chopra had been very consistent, always finishing in the top two since winning Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021. After that, he either won or came second in 24 international competitions in a row, including a silver in 2022 and a gold in 2023 at the World Championships.
Chopra is known for performing well under pressure, so it was surprising that he couldn’t throw over 85m even once. His previous lowest throw recently was 82.27m when he won gold at the Federation Cup in May 2024, which makes this result one of the most disappointing in his career.
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