Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott made a wondrous return to the top of a global podium by winning his first world title in the men’s javelin at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, 13 years after becoming Olympic champion.

Having made history back at the 2012 Games by becoming the youngest ever winner of an Olympic men’s javelin title, the 32-year-old Walcott tonight became one of the oldest ever winners of a men’s javelin title at the World Championships.

“I have been waiting for this medal for 13 years,” said Walcott. “Olympic victory at the age of 19 was incredible. I could never beat it. I have been fighting for a World Championships medal, but I was always off the podium. I even thought that these championships are not my competition. But I never gave up. If I had given up, I would not be here.”

The gold was his almost from the start. He took the lead in the second round with 87.83m and then extended that lead in the fourth round with 88.16m for a season’s best.

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada was back on the podium with a silver after being dethroned by India’s Neeraj Chopra in Budapest in 2023. USA’s Curtis Thompson was another surprise medallist, taking bronze with 86.67m.

What was expected to be a clash of the South Asian titans – Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem and defending champion Chopra – ended up being a Caribbean 1-2.

Chopra finished eighth with 84.03m, two places ahead of Nadeem (82.75m). Diamond League champion and world leader Julian Weber placed fifth with 86.11m, while 2015 world champion Julius Yego of Kenya threw 85.54m for sixth place, passing the final three rounds after rolling his ankle.

Sachin Yadav was another surprise performer. The Indian threw 86.27m to finish fourth, just 40 centimetres shy of a medal. It was the first time since June 2015 that Chopra had been beaten by a fellow Indian thrower, or that Chopra had finished as low as eighth.

Walcott had enjoyed a strong year leading into Tokyo, but hadn’t won any of his international competitions this season ahead of the World Championships. He attributed his win to the changes he made last year.

“Changing my coach was the best decision I have made,” said Walcott, who has been training with Chopra’s former coach Klaus Bartonietz. “We knew that the competition today would be tough but at the end of the day the best throw wins. I'm happy it was mine.”

Peters echoed a similar sentiment. “You have to bring your ‘A’ game all the time,” said Peters, whose 89.51m throw in qualifying would have been enough to win the final, but he said he had a “messy run up” tonight and couldn’t quite find his rhythm.

Thompson’s podium finish was the first for the US since Breaux Gree’s bronze in 2007.

“I'm extremely happy to have been able to throw well and bring home the world bronze,” said Thompson. “I wasn’t the favourite but I always believe in myself.”

Chopra revealed he’d had “some problems” ahead of Tokyo which he kept close to his chest as he thought he could push through it.

“I don't understand what happened today,” said the 27-year-old. “This hasn’t happened for a long time, but javelin is really tough. If you are not in a good shape, you're out. It's OK. I will learn from today. But it's life, it's sport. I have to accept it and move on.”

Anushe Engineer for World Athletics
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