The men’s javelin throw final began with a twist on Wednesday as India’s Sachin Yadav produced a superb throw of 86.27m to grab the second spot after the opening round. In his first major final, the 23-year-old outperformed expectations and even stayed ahead of Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra, who is currently in fifth place.
Thompson leads the pack
American Curtis Thompson sits on top after round one with a powerful throw of 86.67m, just 40 centimetres clear of Yadav. Grenada’s Anderson Peters is placed third at 84.59m, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage impressed with an 84.38m effort to stand fourth.
Neeraj off to a cautious start
Neeraj Chopra, who entered as one of the medal favourites, opened with 83.65m, which puts him in fifth place. Germany’s Julian Weber (83.63m) and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (82.73m) are close behind, keeping the competition tight.
Surprise entries in top positions
The early leaderboard reflects a mix of big names and emerging throwers, with several less-fancied athletes breaking into the top half. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott managed 81.22m to hold seventh, while former world champion Julius Yego is further down the list at 76.58m.
As the event moves into the next rounds, all eyes will be on Chopra to step up, while Yadav’s stunning start has given Indian fans plenty to cheer about.
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