Neeraj Chopra crashes out after poor show at World Athletics Championships

In a rare and surprising turn of events, India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will return empty-handed from the World Athletics Championships final in Tokyo. The champion athlete, who has consistently been on the podium since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, had an uncharacteristic off day, finishing with a best throw of only 84.03m. This performance was a step down even from his qualification throw of 84.85m and saw him fail to secure a medal for the first time in a major international event in recent memory.

The final saw a highly competitive field, with several athletes delivering impressive throws early on. Neeraj's first attempt was a modest 83.65m, which was followed by an improved but still-subpar 84.03m. He was unable to find his rhythm and his subsequent throws fell short of the mark, leading to his early exit from medal contention.

The competition was fierce, with athletes from around the world vying for the top spot. Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion, took the lead with a season-best attempt of 88.16m. He was closely followed by Grenada's Anderson Peters, a two-time world champion, who secured the second position with a best throw of 87.38m. The USA's Curtis Thompson rounded out the top three with an impressive throw of 86.67m. India's Sachin Yadav is fourth with a massive throw of 86.27m - his personal best.

Meanwhile, a similar struggle was seen from Neeraj's rival, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the reigning Olympic champion. Nadeem also had a disappointing outing, finishing in 10th place with a series of subpar throws. Both athletes, who have recently dominated the javelin circuit and were highly anticipated to duel for the top honors, had a difficult night on the field.