Rohit Yadav continued his incredible rise on the Indian javelin scene, becoming the country’s second-best thrower of all time. Rohit unleashed a massive 87.68m throw at the Continental Tour silver meet in Bhubaneshwar to move past Kishore Jena on the all-time Indian list. Jena had held the second spot with his 87.54m effort from 2023.
Only Neeraj Chopra now remains ahead of Rohit, sitting comfortably at the top with his national record of 90.23m, thrown in the Doha Diamond League in 2025.
JAVELIN: PERSONAL BESTS BY INDIAN ATHLETES
- Neeraj Chopra – 90.23m
- Rohit Yadav – 87.68m (today)
- Kishore Jena – 87.54m
- Sachin Yadav – 86.27m
- Shivpal Singh – 86.23m
- Yashvir Singh – 85.41m
The 87.68m effort also capped a remarkable rise for Rohit, who had already broken into the top three on the Indian all-time list earlier this year. In June, he threw 87.05m, moving past several established names and announcing himself as one of the country’s leading javelin throwers.
Two months later, Rohit has gone one better.
His latest throw puts him sixth on the all-time list among Asian athletes and fourth in the world this season. He is also now the third-best thrower in Asia this year.
Rohit’s rise comes after a disappointing outing at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year. He had made the final of the men’s javelin event, where Neeraj Chopra won silver, but could manage only 81.56m. It was a rare off night for an athlete who had been steadily improving throughout the season.
He made amends on Saturday in front of a packed crowd at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Things did not come easy, though. Rohit had been in second place going into the final throw in the event. The track was slippery due to a spell of rain earlier in the day, and Rohit had been conservative with his footing, knowing well that a slip here could mean his Asian Games would be over.
And he did slip. In his second attempt, Rohit took a fall that hurt his knee. But from there on, the change began.
The first throw was a paltry 75m, but from there, the confidence grew.
ROHIT YADAV’S SEQUENCE TODAY:
- Foul
- Foul
- 75.92m
- 78.73m
- 81.82m
- 87.68m
After the fall, each throw became bigger, and the next one was hurled with more intent.
And Rohit decided to throw caution to the wind with his final attempt. He let it rip.
The result was the biggest throw of his career and one that moved him into rare territory in Indian athletics, with only Neeraj having thrown farther for the country.
Rohit’s next major target will be the Asian Games, where he will hope to carry the momentum from Bhubaneswar into the continental competition.
And the 25-year-old believes there is more to come.
“If conditions remain the same in the Asian Games, I will have a bigger throw there, I am sure of that,” Rohit said after his victory.
With his confidence growing and his throws getting longer, Rohit has given Indian javelin another reason to look beyond the shadow of Neeraj Chopra. On Saturday, he became only the second Indian to cross 87.50m, and his latest words suggest that his best may still be ahead of him.
– Ends
