Three Indians led by Neeraj Chopra have qualified for the final of javelin throw event at Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Thursday.
Updated: July 30, 2026, 5:25 PM IST
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Neeraj Chopra in action in the javelin qualifying event at Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Thursday. (Source: X)
Commonwealth Games 2026: Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra booked his place in the javelin throw final of the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Thursday. The two-time Olympic medallist didn’t even need to breach the 80m mark to qualifying for the final on Friday night. Neeraj, who skipped the 2022 edition in Birmingham, is aiming to win his second Commonwealth Games after 2018.
Along side Neeraj Chopra, two other Indian javelin throwers – Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh – have also managed to qualify for the final. Neeraj managed to finish in 5th place with his best effort of 79.61m, which came on the second attempt. Rohit had a best of 78.37m while Yashvir Singh achieved a distance of 78.36m to qualify in 9th and 10th place respectively.
Neeraj Chopra – who won the gold medal in Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and silver medal in Paris Olympics 2024 – was the last thrower in each round. The Indian chose not to take the third and final attempt as he had already booked a place in the final by finishing in 5th place.
“I’m happy that I’ve reached the final. That was the goal in the qualification round. It was really cold and windy, but the throw was okay, around 79 metres. The objective was to qualify for the final and then give my best there. So, I’m happy with the throw… The conditions were not ideal for javelin throwers. It wasn’t just cold, it was also very windy,” Neeraj Chopra told the media after qualifying.
“The wind wasn’t coming from the front either, it kept changing direction, sometimes blowing from the side, which made it really difficult to judge where to throw. Sometimes we’d think, ‘Okay, I’ll throw there’, but then the wind would suddenly come from the other side. A lot of throwers struggled today. No one achieved the automatic qualification mark. The conditions were tough, but we’re happy that all three Indian athletes have qualified for the final,” he added.
A steady headwind coupled with temperature of around 18 degree Celsius made conditions difficult throughout the javelin event. None of the competitors were able to breach the automatic qualification mark of 84m, leaving the top 12 athletes to progress to the final.
WATCH Neeraj Chopra’s throw to qualify for javelin final HERE…
Neeraj Chopra books his place in the Men’s Javelin Final with a 79.61m throw despite challenging conditions.
Watch the Golden Boy in action on 1st August, 12:45 AM onwards, LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV #Glasgow2026… pic.twitter.com/M4kYPIuCTJ
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 30, 2026
Sri Lanka’s javelin star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, winner of the Doha and Rome Diamond League meetings this season, topped the qualification with a first-round throw of 82.84m. Pathirage had achieved a distance of over 92m in Rome Diamond League earlier this year.
Defending champion Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan, who had won the gold in CWG 2022 in Birmingham, also managed to qualify for the final in 7th place with a throw of 78.63m.
Here is the list of athletes who have qualified for javelin final at Commonwealth Games 2026…
| Position | Name | Country | Distance |
| 1 | Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage | Sri Lanka | 82.84 |
| 2 | Anderson Peters | Grenada | 81.29 |
| 3 | Douw Smit | South Africa | 80.64 |
| 4 | Ben East | England | 80.38 |
| 5 | Neeraj Chopra | India | 79.61 |
| 6 | Cameron McEntyre | Australia | 78.91 |
| 7 | Arshad Nadeem | Pakistan | 78.63 |
| 8 | Keyshawn Strachan | The Bahamas | 78.60 |
| 9 | Rohit Yadav | India | 78.37 |
| 10 | Yash Vir Singh | India | 78.36 |
| 11 | Keshorn Walcott | Trinidad and Tobago | 78.26 |
| 12 | Chinecherem Nnamdi | Nigeria | 75.27 |
The former world champion opened with a modest 76.28m, which placed him sixth after the first round. He improved to 79.61m with his second effort to move up to fifth. He chose not to take his last attempt.
Neeraj’s Indian compatriot Yashvir, who has a season and personal best is 83.72m, also steadily improved in qualifying. The 24-year-old began with a throw of 73.89m, improved to 74.45m in the second round and then registered 78.36m with his final attempt to seal his qualification for the final.
Rohit, who has a season and personal best of 87.05m, began with a throw of 77.04m before improving to 78.37m in his second attempt. He also chose not to take the final attempt like Neeraj Chopra.
Neeraj Chopra has returned from a lower back injury that has troubled him since September last year. The injury delayed his return until the Doha Diamond League 2026 in June, where he finished fourth with 85.69m.
