Neeraj Chopra misses podium for first time in 27 events
With his eighth-place finish at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Thursday, Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable streak of top-two finishes in every competition since 2021 came to an end.
Neeraj, who was the defending champion, could only manage a best of 84.03m as the two-time Olympic medallist struggled for form.
READ | Neeraj finishes 8th in javelin throw final at World Athletics Championships 2025
This marked the end Neeraj’s 26 successive top-two finishes, a run stretching back to June 2021, when he placed third at the Kuortane Games in Finland.
Neeraj Chopra’s top-two finishing streak
2025
Zurich DL (SUI) – 2nd
Neeraj Chopra Classic, Bengaluru (IND) – 1st
Ostrava DL (CZE) – 1st
Paris DL (FRA) – 1st
Janusz Kusocinski Memorial, Chorzow (POL) – 2nd
Doha DL (QAT) – 2nd
Potch Invitational Meet, Potchefstroom (RSA) – 1st
2024
Brussels DL (BEL) – 2nd
Lausanne DL (SUI) – 2nd
Paris Olympics (Qualifiers) (FRA) – 1st
Paris Olympics (Final) (FRA) – 2nd
Paavo Nurmi Games (FIN) – 1st
Federation Cup, Bhubaneswar (IND) – 1st
Doha DL (QAT) – 2nd
2023
Asian Games, Hangzhou (CHN) – 1st
Prefontaine Classic (USA) – 2nd
Zurich DL (SUI) – 2nd
World Athletics Championships (Qualifiers), Budapest (HUN) – 1st
World Athletics Championships (Final), Budapest (HUN) – 1st
Lausanne DL (SUI) – 1st
Doha DL (QAT) – 1st
2022
Zurich Classic (SUI) – 1st
Lausanne DL (SUI) – 1st
World Athletics Championships (Qualifiers), Oregon (USA) – 1st
World Athletics Championships (Final), Oregon (USA) – 2nd
Stockholm DL (SWE) – 2nd
Kuortane Games (FIN) – 1st
Paavo Nurmi Games (FIN) – 2nd
2021
Tokyo Olympics (Qualifiers) (JPN)- 1st
Tokyo Olympics (Final) (JPN) – 1st
Published on Sep 18, 2025