Sports : India’s Olympic gold medallist and javelin sensation Neeraj Chopra has once again ascended to the top spot in the World Athletics rankings. As per the latest update released this week on the official World Athletics website, Neeraj surpassed Grenada’s Anderson Peters to reclaim the No.1 position in men’s javelin throw.
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Peters had earlier dethroned Neeraj in September last year after winning the Diamond League final in Brussels. However, with consistent performances and a strong start to the 2025 season, Neeraj now leads the rankings with 1445 points, while Peters follows closely with 1431 points. Germany’s Julian Weber is placed third with 1407 points, and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, the current Olympic champion, holds fourth with 1370 points.
Neeraj Chopra, now 27, will look to defend his world title this September at the World Championships in Tokyo. His 2025 season began in April at an invitational meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he recorded a winning throw of 84.52 meters.
In May, Neeraj made headlines again with a stunning throw of 90.23 meters at the Doha Diamond League, marking the first time he breached the 90-meter mark. Despite the personal best, he finished second to Julian Weber, who threw an impressive 91.06 meters.
Later, at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Chorzów, Poland, Neeraj registered 84.14 meters but finished behind Weber once again. However, he came back strongly at the Paris Diamond League, clinching the gold medal with an 88.16-meter throw.
Neeraj’s third victory of the season came earlier this week at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, where he matched his Paris performance with another 88.16-meter throw, securing the top podium position.
His next challenge awaits at the inaugural “Neeraj Chopra Classic”, set to be held at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium on July 5. The event will feature top Indian and international athletes and is expected to further boost athletics’ popularity across the country.
Neeraj’s return to the No.1 spot underscores his dominance and consistency in global javelin competition, reaffirming his status as one of the world’s finest athletes.
