In a surprising turn of events at the World Athletics Championships final, Olympic gold medallist and defending world champion Neeraj Chopra bowed out of contention after five underwhelming attempts, finishing in eighth place with a best throw of 84.03 metres.

Chopra, who entered the competition as one of the favourites, began with a promising throw of 83.65m, placing him temporarily in second position behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters. However, the Indian ace struggled to build momentum as the final progressed. He managed 84.03m on his second attempt, his best of the night, but failed to improve further. A foul on his third attempt and modest marks in the subsequent rounds added to his frustration, and he was visibly disappointed after his fifth and final effort measured just 82.86m.