In a thrilling debut at the World Championships, India’s Sachin Yadav delivered a performance that saw him briefly outshine seasoned athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Julian Weber. Yet, for Sachin, this impressive start couldn’t entirely mask the profound disappointment of narrowly missing a bronze medal that felt tantalizingly within his grasp.
Sachin, a relatively unknown talent, was competing in only his second international event. His opening throw of an astounding 86.27m marked a new personal best, significantly surpassing his previous record of 85.16m, which had earned him a silver at the Asian championships in May. The bronze medal, ultimately won by Curtis Thompson of the USA, was secured with a throw of 86.67m – a mere 40cm more than Sachin’s exceptional effort.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, Sachin shared, “My first throw was incredible. The weather conditions were perfect, my body felt fantastic, and the execution was almost flawless. The instant I saw my javelin land, I truly believed a medal was mine. I was confident I could deliver at least one throw exceeding 87 meters.”
“Competing against the world’s elite naturally elevates your game. However, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t improve upon that initial throw in my subsequent five attempts. That’s why I feel I let a World Championship medal slip away,” the 25-year-old expressed with regret.
He also spoke about the camaraderie during the event: “Neeraj bhai and I were constantly in conversation throughout the final. After my powerful first throw, he told me we had a real chance at two medals for India. I knew he was grappling with a back issue, and while I pushed to better my own throw, I also felt a deep sadness for Neeraj bhai‘s struggles.”
Sachin’s ascent in javelin has been nothing short of remarkable, especially considering he lacked a qualified coach in his early years. His journey into the sport began when his neighbor, fellow javelin thrower Sandeep Yadav, spotted the tall youngster enjoying a casual game of cricket and saw his potential.
Just last year, Sandeep introduced Sachin to the renowned coach Naval Singh, a mentor who has guided several prominent athletes, including Shivpal Singh, Sumit Antil, and Navdeep Singh, towards success.