Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025: Bengaluru’s dynamic wind fluctuations put the javelin field to test

There are many things you can control in life. Weather isn’t one of them, as Neeraj Chopra found out on Saturday.

The Indian javelin thrower was an obsessive co-host of the first edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru.

Minutes before the start of the meet, while the other athletes were warming up, Neeraj was on the other side of Sree Kanteerava Stadium, conversing with his fellow organisers, giving the arrangements a few final touches.

As he later admitted, one of Neeraj’s biggest worries heading into the event was Bengaluru’s characteristic late-in-the-day showers. His wish was granted as the rain kept away. But its climatic accomplice, wind, didn’t.

On Saturday, a relentless spell of choppy wind, directly into the throwers’ arc, dampened the efforts of a top-quality field, forcing nearly all to throw well below their capacity.

“The wind conditions today were challenging. In Doha, we get such headwind. It’s difficult to throw headwind. Plus, it was swirling a lot today. It was a bit strange,” said Neeraj at the press conference.

Neeraj was the only one to cross the 85m mark at the inaugural edition of the NC Classic, as he claimed the gold medal on home turf.

Nearly all throwers had at least one of their throws swerve to one way or the other – or even spiral down rapidly from their trajectory – due to the churning wind, costing them crucial distance.

Even the experienced Thomas Rohler struggled to come to terms with the conditions. The German thrower had just one legal throw (75.85) in the competition, as he was eliminated after the third round.

“It’s tough when the wind is constantly changing. Because we had wind from the back, wind from the front, wind from the side and it all changes from attempt to attempt. And you just need to adapt yourself. Everybody was going a little lower today because of the headwind,” said Rohler.

Rohler, who won gold at the Rio Olympics, though, opined that such dynamic elements are what make the javelin exciting.

“That’s just part of javelin, and I actually love it. I love it when it’s open. That is when you get this challenge. In world championships usually it’s closed stadium. It’s considered fairer. But to me, this is an outdoor sport, and the one that can deal with the wind is the best. It’s like a challenge. It’s part of the sport,” added Rohler.

The unpredictability of the Bengaluru wind was best exemplified by the failure of Neeraj’s ‘radar’ – the hands-pointing-to-the-sky gesture he makes after he unleashes a good throw.

On Saturday, Neeraj did a few of those, only for the digital scoreboard to display a distance far below his usual standards.

“There were a couple of throws where I felt they were going to be good ones. I felt the 84m one could have been 87-88m. When you give your throw a little too much height, there is a probability of the javelin stopping in the air. If I had changed the angle a bit, maybe I could have gone bigger,” said Neeraj.

RELATED | Neeraj Chopra relieved on performing well under pressure after winning NC Classic 2025

Nevertheless, the Indian javelin thrower was a cut above the rest, as he showed his remarkable ability to adapt to any condition. His best throw of the night was nearly two metres more than second-placed Julius Yego and third-placed Rumesh Pathirage.

The win was also a stamp of his consistency, marking his 25th consecutive event where he has finished in the top two – a remarkable streak that began in June 2021.

But, in the end, for Neeraj, the smooth running of the event – headwind aside – was the bigger accomplishment.

“I made a technical mistake at the start. I was going towards my left. My coach then asked me to make some changes. I feel I could have done better. But I am happy with my throwing as I could win. My biggest target was for the competition to be successful, and that has happened,” added a relieved Neeraj.