KEY POINTS
- The men’s javelin final is set for September 18, where 12 athletes, including Nadeem, will compete for gold.
- India’s Neeraj Chopra qualified with a first-attempt throw of 84.85 meters.
- Germany’s world No. 1 Julian Weber bounced back from a poor start to secure qualification with an 87.21-meter throw.
- Several contenders like Sachin Yadav, Jakub Vadlejch, and Keshorn Walcott remain on the edge.
TOKYO, Japan: Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem qualified for the men’s javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after producing a decisive 85.28-metre throw in the qualifying round on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old athlete sealed his spot with his third and final attempt, having earlier managed 76.99m and 74.17m. His last throw not only ensured qualification but also marked his season’s best performance.
Nadeem will now line up in Thursday’s gold medal round alongside some of the world’s leading throwers, including India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, Germany’s Julian Weber, and Grenada’s Anderson Peters.
From Nadeem’s group, Kenya’s Julius Yego topped the field with an impressive 89.53m, while Peters advanced with 85.96m. American Curtis Thompson also booked his place after a late throw of 84.72m.
Chopra, a two-time Olympic medallist, needed only one attempt in Group A, clearing the automatic qualifying mark of 84.50m with a first throw of 84.85m.
The world number two later underlined his credentials with an 86.56m effort, building on the momentum from his record-breaking 92.97m throw that earned him gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Germany’s Weber, the current world number one, recovered from a poor start to record 87.21m, while Poland’s Dawid Wegner threw a personal best of 85.67m.
India’s Sachin Yadav narrowly missed direct qualification with 83.67m but remains in contention depending on final rankings. His fate now hangs in the balance, awaiting the results from Group B.
Meanwhile, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (84.11m) and Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott (83.93m) remain on the cusp, ready to battle for a place in the final.
In total, 12 out of 37 athletes will advance to the final – those surpassing the automatic mark, with the remaining slots filled by the best distances.
Nadeem and Chopra are expected to renew their high-profile rivalry on the global stage. At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Chopra took gold with 88.17m while Nadeem secured silver with 87.82m.
🚨🚨Pakistani javelin star and Olympic gold-medalist Arshad Nadeem has qualified for the final of the World Athletics Championship with a throw of 85.28 meters. 🇵🇰
#ArshadNadeem #worldathleticschampionships2025 pic.twitter.com/HD593PwK43
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) September 17, 2025
The tables turned at the Paris Olympics last year, where Nadeem claimed Pakistan’s first Olympic athletics gold in four decades with a record 92.97m throw, leaving Chopra to settle for silver.
Nadeem, who was named Asia’s Best Athlete by the Asian Athletics Association in 2024, has built a reputation for delivering under pressure. His late qualification in Tokyo once again demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion.
The javelin final takes place at the Tokyo National Stadium on Thursday evening.
Out of 37 hopefuls, only 12 will advance, those who breach the automatic qualifying mark move forward with certainty, while the remaining spots will be fiercely contested by the best of the rest.
