“They Are National Heroes” — Julian Weber on Nadeem and Chopra
Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra won Olympic Gold and Silver at the Paris Olympics
The Olympic Javelin Final Drama
Julian Weber won the German National Title, European Silver and finished 6th at the Paris Olympics — an impressive performance in 2024 for Germany’s top javelin thrower. At German track and field podcast mainathlet he shares his experiences from the Paris Olympics and talks about growing competition from the Indian subcontinent.
“I was in the best shape of my life and really believed I could bring home a medal”
He admits the final in Paris was an emotional rollercoaster:
“85,000 to 90,000 fans totally escalated and made it hard to hear anything”
“When Noah Lyles entered the stadium my eardrum almost burst”
Julian Weber thew 87.40 metres in the greatest Olympic javelin final in history
“I was too motivated. I wanted it too much even though I tried to calm myself and relax.”
His first throw was probably a medal-winning distance, but has been ruled invalid by a small margin as his foot barely touched the line. And just before his second attempt, Arshad Nadeem threw an Olympic Record.
The Rise of the Subcontinent
Since Neeraj Chopra won Olympic Gold in Tokyo, the Indian youth has discovered their passion for the javelin throw. The same goes for Pakistan whose top thrower Arshad Nadeem outthrew Chopra in Paris to win the first Olympic Gold for his country. Thanks to the nations’ cricket tradition, javelin throwers can take advantage of bowling techniques in cricket. Julian Weber believes:
“They are national heroes there”
Arshad Nadeem arrives at Lahore Airport
Neeraj Chopra arrives at New Delhi Airport
Julian commented on Arshad Nadeem’s and Neeraj Chopra’s status as role models for young athletes from two nations whose combined population exceeds 1.75 billion people.
“Probably one hundred to two hundred thousand young people want to throw the javelin”
Even if conditions are far from ideal, these young athletes are extremely motivated. He watched videos of athletes training barefoot, running on sand, throwing on hard ground and learning from YouTube.
“The surfaces are bad, the shoes are bad, but they want it. They’ll find a way”
The power of role models who bring glory to nations with very little Olympic history is immense. Chopra who trains with World Record Holder Jan Zelezny is being sponsored by brands like Samsung and Audi and is most likely India’s only athlete at the level of fame that is usually reserved for their top cricketers.
Nadeem who trained with very few resources is now being sponsored by brands such as Toyota and Realme. Prior to the Paris Olympics he trained with a damaged javelin until Chopra had called out javelin producers to sponsor him.
Arshad Nadeem’s workout area prior to becoming Olympic Champion
Julian Weber believes that the javelin will see more athletes coming from the subcontinent, regardless of their training conditions.
“The next world-class throwers are coming. I’m sure of it.”
He reckons the javelin has become more global than ever.
“It used to be all Finns, Czechs and Germans. But now? The top 10 is made up of eight different countries.”
The 90-Metre-Barrier and Season Goals
What’s on for Julian in 2025?
“Honestly, I don't want to throw 90. I want to throw 95. That way, 90 will just happen on the way.“
Julian has been focusing on strength training — bench press, lifting and throwing exercises with a special javelin machine from the 1980s.
Julian Weber with javelin training machine
“It looks like some high-tech machine, but it’s actually really old. It helps us train explosive arm speed. That’s what matters.”
He also shared how much injuries and imperfect technique once held him back in the weight room. But now, he’s breaking PBs in nearly every lift.
“For a while I was scared to push. But this winter, I went all in.”
With a warm-weather training camp in Marbella lined up, he hopes to switch gears from pure strength to more javelin-specific work. After that, the season starts with a Diamond League meet in Doha. And the goal besides 90 metres? A medal at the next World Championship!
Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra has already opened his season with a 84.52m throw at the Potch Invitational Meet in South Africa.
