A Cycle That Began in Tokyo Ends in Tokyo: Neeraj Chopra’s Streak Comes to an End
For the better part of the last decade, Neeraj Chopra has been the beacon of Indian athletics, a figure who transformed the nation’s relationship with track and field. From a teenager bursting onto the scene at the U20 World Championships in 2016, to becoming India’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist in athletics at Tokyo 2021, his story has been one of relentless consistency, discipline, and a near-mystical ability to rise on the biggest stages.
But on a September evening in Tokyo in 2025, on the same runway where he once carved his name into history, Neeraj experienced something unfamiliar: he walked away without a medal.
At the World Athletics Championships 2025, Neeraj finished eighth in the men’s javelin final, his title defence ending with a best attempt of 84.03m. It was the lowest he had placed in an international competition in years, and the first time since June 2021 that he ended outside the top two.
More significantly, it marked the end of an astonishing streak: 25 consecutive podium finishes at the highest level of the sport.
For perspective, the last time Neeraj finished outside the top three in any global competition was way back on 9th September 2018, at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava.
That was 2,566 days ago. Since then, he has been almost untouchable, standing on podium after podium, delivering medal after medal, carrying the expectations of over a billion people as if it were just another spear balanced in his hand.
The Final in Tokyo
Neeraj’s series on the night reflected a strange mix of promise and frustration: 83.65m, 84.03m, a foul, 82.86m, and another foul. He didn’t get a sixth throw only the top six athletes advance for the final attempt and so, for the first time in years, he found himself watching from the sidelines as the medals were decided.
It wasn’t a disastrous outing after all, an 84m throw is still world-class. But in a final where the competition was fierce, and where even the reigning champion needed something close to perfection, it wasn’t enough. The cruel arithmetic of elite sport left him stranded in eighth place.
The image of Neeraj, shoulders heavy and expression pained, as he walked away from the runway told its own story. This was not just another competition. This was Tokyo. This was the stadium where, four years ago, he had given India a golden moment for eternity. To return here and experience his lowest finish in years must have felt like a brutal twist of fate.
A Streak That Redefined Indian Athletics
It is tempting to view this result through the narrow lens of disappointment. But doing so would mean overlooking the extraordinary journey Neeraj has taken Indian athletics on.
For 26 consecutive events, he finished in the top two. Olympic Games. World Championships. Diamond Leagues. Continental meets. Every time he stepped into the arena, he carried the weight of expectation and yet, almost unfailingly, delivered. In javelin a sport where conditions, technique, and timing can produce wildly inconsistent results such a streak is almost unthinkable.
Think about it: in a technical event where even the best falter, Neeraj Chopra stayed at the top of the world for over four years without missing the podium. That level of consistency is a rarity, even among legends. His achievement belongs in the conversation with the very best across global sport.
What makes this result particularly poignant is that Neeraj is no longer just an athlete competing for himself. He has become a symbol of possibility for Indian athletics. His Olympic triumph in 2021 opened the floodgates of interest, funding, and participation in track and field. Today, India sent nearly 20 athletes to the World Championships in Tokyo a number that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago. His shadow looms large, but in the most positive sense: he has inspired a generation to believe they belong on the world stage.
This eighth-place finish doesn’t erase any of that. If anything, it reminds us that even the most extraordinary streaks must end. Records are broken, medals are lost, but the legacy of inspiration is far more enduring.
The First Real Setback
In many ways, this is Neeraj’s first true on-field setback since he emerged as a global star. Since the U20 gold in 2016, his career trajectory has been relentlessly upward, punctuated only by injuries he always came back stronger from. Tokyo 2025 is the first time he has tasted the bitterness of failing to meet his own standards.
But perhaps this is also the moment that will add another layer to his story. Great champions are not only defined by their victories but by how they respond to defeats. And if history tells us anything about Neeraj Chopra, it is that he thrives on challenges.
This is not the end of Neeraj’s journey far from it. He is still only 27, entering what should be the prime years for a javelin thrower. There will be more Diamond Leagues, more World Championships, and of course, the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. One off-day, even on the most symbolic of stages, cannot diminish what he has achieved or what he is still capable of.
The disappointment of Tokyo will sting, but it will also serve as fuel. The fighter in Neeraj has never backed down from adversity, and there is no reason to believe he will start now.
As fans, it is easy to become accustomed to greatness. For years, Neeraj Chopra made excellence look routine. Podium finishes became expected rather than celebrated. That is why this eighth-place finish feels jarring. But in truth, it is a reminder of just how extraordinary his consistency has been.
The streak is over. But the legend of Neeraj Chopra is not built on one night in Tokyo, whether in 2021 or 2025. It is built on years of dedication, the dreams he has ignited, and the pride he has brought to India. And legends, as we know, always rise again.
