The World Athletics Championships will kick off in Tokyo on Saturday, with reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra set to defend his title on Thursday, September 18. Chopra returns to the National Stadium, where he claimed Olympic gold four years ago. Meanwhile, Arshad Nadeem, who defeated him in Paris last year, has expressed that he focuses primarily on competing against himself rather than on his rival. Nadeem’s victory in Paris also marked Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in four decades, with a record throw of 92.97 meters.
Since the Paris Olympics, Nadeem has been recovering from injury and has competed only once, winning the Asian Championships in May. Chopra, on the other hand, did not take part in the continental event but has had a strong season, finishing in the top two in every competition he participated in and throwing 90.23 meters at the Doha Diamond League.