Neeraj Chopra's Podium Streak Ends at World Athletics Championships

Neeraj Chopra's Remarkable Journey

New Delhi, January 1: Neeraj Chopra, India's celebrated javelin thrower and two-time Olympic medalist, faced a disappointing end to his remarkable streak of 26 consecutive podium finishes. His journey took a turn during the World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo, where he finished in 8th place, marking a significant moment in his career.

At the Tokyo Championships in September, Chopra's best throw measured 84.03 meters, which was not enough to secure a top-two position for the first time in his impressive run.

This setback also concluded his extraordinary 33-event podium streak that began at the 2018 All-India Inter-Services Championships.

Despite this rare defeat, Chopra has had a stellar 2025 season. He triumphed in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, a competition named in his honor, at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru this July.

The season kicked off with a victory at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April, followed by a remarkable second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League in May, where he achieved a personal milestone by throwing over 90 meters for the first time, with a throw of 90.23 meters.

This achievement silenced years of speculation regarding the 90-meter mark, as Chopra became only the 25th man in history to surpass this barrier.

He continued his success with a second-place finish at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month, and then secured back-to-back victories at the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike, with throws of 88.16 meters and 85.29 meters, respectively.

In late August, Chopra maintained his form, finishing second with a throw of 85.01 meters during the Diamond League final in Zurich.

Born on December 24, 1997, in Khandra village, Haryana, Chopra has brought immense pride to India and the Armed Forces through his outstanding achievements in athletics.

He made history as the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In October, he was honored with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a ceremony in New Delhi, attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and other senior officials.