Neeraj Chopra performs when he has to: Sumariwalla ahead of Tokyo World Championship

World Athletics Vice President Adille Sumariwalla has expressed full faith in Neeraj Chopra’s ability to deliver when it matters most, brushing aside concerns after the Indian javelin ace finished second in the Zurich Diamond League Final.

The 27-year-old Olympic and World Championships medallist managed a best throw of 85.01m on Thursday, falling short of Germany’s Julian Weber, who stole the spotlight with a mammoth 91.57m effort. Despite the result, Sumariwalla believes Neeraj’s track record speaks for itself.

"I think he (Neeraj) is ok. Neeraj performs when he really has to perform. 85-86m is not bad at all. He won the Olympics with the same distance, we just got so used to Neeraj winning that we forget that it’s a sport and javelin is a dicey sport," Sumariwalla told PTI Videos on the sidelines of the International Association of Ultrarunners 50K World Championship press conference.

A tough Diamond League final

The Zurich Diamond League final was dominated early by Weber, who produced back-to-back throws over 91m, including the season’s best 91.57m. Neeraj, meanwhile, endured a mixed night with three consecutive fouls before finally securing second place with his last attempt.

Weber’s explosive performance ensured the competition turned into a one-man show, but Sumariwalla is confident Neeraj will regroup before the World Championships in Tokyo, scheduled from September 13 to 21.

"Weber is throwing very well at the moment. Weber has got all his things right, so he is throwing well. It will be a good fight between them in Tokyo," Sumariwalla said, hinting at an exciting rematch between the two athletes.

Bigger goals ahead for Indian athletics

Sumariwalla, a former Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president, also believes India will improve on last year’s results at the World Championships.

"I think we will do better than last year, we will have more finalists," he noted.

He further emphasised that while next year’s Asian Games and Commonwealth Games will be important stepping stones, the real target for Indian athletics will be the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"Next year, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games will only be stepping stones, but the real performance we will see is in the LA Olympics in 2028," he remarked.

Neeraj Chopra’s ability to handle pressure has been his hallmark throughout his career. With Tokyo approaching, all eyes will be on whether the Indian star can rediscover his peak form and challenge rivals like Weber, and even Paris Olympic gold-medallist Arshad Nadeem on the grand stage.