Javelin at CWG 2026: Wind wins Round 1 as Neeraj and Arshad advance to final

Neeraj Chopra was unable to manage a one-and-done qualifier – something he has done consistently throughout his career at major events. Indeed, none of the 16 hurlers in the field managed to break the automatic qualifying mark as strong gusts of wind and chilly conditions (18C) made life difficult at Scotstoun Stadium on Thursday night. CWG Update on 8

Competing in his first major event since a long injury layoff, Chopra looked in good rhythm but was unable to produce a big throw. The two-time Olympic medalist eventually qualified comfortably but needed two attempts to do so.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion opened with a modest effort of 76.28m before improving to 79.61m with his second throw. Chopra languished in ninth place after his opening attempt but climbed to fifth after his second, with the Indian wearing a cap to combat the chilly conditions.

Convinced that he had done enough to advance, Chopra decided not to undergo his third and final attempt.

Chopra was joined in the final by Rohit Yadav, who recently registered a lifetime best of 87.05m to qualify for the Asian Games, and Yash Vir Singh.

This is the first time in Commonwealth Games history that three Indians have qualified for the men’s javelin final.

A strong statement from the spearmen!

Neeraj Chopra (79.61m), Rohit Yadav (78.37m) and Yash Vir Singh (78.36m) qualify for the men’s javelin final at #Glasgow2026!

Watch them in the final on August 1 from 12:45 PM, LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE on Sony Sports Network TV pic.twitter.com/nxDDlDSbyE— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 30, 2026

Reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan finished seventh with a best of 78.63m.

Tokyo and Paris Olympic gold medalists Chopra and Arshad are still searching for top form after lengthy injury lay-offs following last year’s World Championship heartbreak. Both will be hoping to find a different speed in the final, which starts at 12:45 IST on Saturday. Neeraj returned to action at the Doha Diamond League last month and missed the stage with signs of rust.

HOW STRONG WIND CAUSED IT

After qualifying, Chopra explained why the conditions proved so challenging, saying that the wind was swirling from all directions throughout the competition.

Scotstoun Stadium, without a roof on the javelin side, left the athletes exposed to a relentless headwind.

“The conditions weren’t the best for javelin throwers. Not only was it cold, it was windy. And the wind was blowing from all directions. It was really hard to tell which way it was going to come from. And a lot of throwers struggled today, no automatic qualification,” Chopra said.

“It was difficult to stay warm as well. We tried to understand the conditions during the warm-up throws but nobody could decode it. The athletes put in a lot of effort but the wind dictated the conditions. A lot of them will be unhappy today because I don’t think anyone will be happy with their throw,” added Chopra.

RUMESH LEADS THE TABLE Rumesh Pathirage dominated Thursday’s javelin qualifying round (Photo Reuters)

Rumesh Pathirage from Sri Lanka, who has been in sensational form this year and owns a personal best of 92.62m, topped the qualifying order with a best throw of 82.84m. The favorite for the gold medal needed one attempt and did not return for the second and third throws after comfortably closing the qualification.

“I’m really happy to have qualified and I’ll try for the gold tomorrow. It looks like it’s going to be my lucky year,” said the Sri Lankan star. Screenshot from Glasgow2026

ONE BIG YEGO SHOCK

Former world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada finished second with a best performance of 81.29m.

South Africa’s Douw Smit and England’s Ben East were among the standout performers, both clearing the 80m mark and qualifying easily.

In the qualifying day, which was dominated by unfavorable weather conditions, only four throwers managed to clear 80m.

Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott squeezed into the final in 11th place with a best of 78.26m, narrowly avoiding the embarrassment of not making the top 12.

Meanwhile, former Commonwealth Games champion and Olympic medalist Julius Yego of Kenya failed to make the 12-man final after managing just 74.50 to finish 13th.

Pakistan’s Muhammad Yasir also missed out on qualifying despite posting a season’s best performance of 74.35m.

I have not changed any of Chopra’s quotes. The main changes consist in improving the rhythm, tightening the repetitions, strengthening the transitions and elevating the language while preserving all the factual details. I also standardized the copy into British English (eg *dismissal*, *medalist*, *programme* convention where possible) and smoothed out awkward constructions without changing the substance.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

30 Jul 2026 18:16 IST