Neeraj Chopra says he had back issues two weeks ahead of World Athletics Championships 2025

India’s Neeraj Chopra revealed on Thursday that he had been suffering from back issues in weeks leading up to 2025 edition of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Earlier in the day, the former Olympic champion finished a lowly eighth in the men’s javelin final with a best throw of 84.03m. This was the first time in 27 events that Neeraj was finishing outside the top two.

“I don’t understand what happened today. This has not happened for a long time. I had some problems before coming to Tokyo. Two weeks ago, I had some back issues, but I didn’t want to tell anyone. I was thinking I would still manage to get through it. But javelin is really tough. If you are not in good shape, you’re out. It’s okay. I will learn from today,” the 27-year-old told World Athletics after the final.

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The Indian began with a decent throw of 83.65m, after which he improved his best throw by 0.38m. His third throw was a foul but he managed to advance to the next round in the final. In his fourth attempt, Neeraj threw a disappointing 82.86m after which he slipped and conceded a foul in his fifth and final throw.

“Maybe I need more training or to improve my technique. But it’s life, it’s sport. I have to accept it and move on,” he added.

A day back during qualification, Neeraj had thrown the spear to a distance of 84.85m to book his spot in the final.

“Competing two days in a row was not a problem. It was okay because I qualified yesterday with my first throw. It was not too far but I was thinking it was still good, and that I could throw further today. I will go back to my room, watch the competition and check on my throws. I will work on it,” he concluded.

Published on Sep 18, 2025