Anju Bobby George continues to remain as the only Indian to win a medal at World Championships as India's campaign at the 2017 London meet ended on a disappointing note.
Davinder Singh Kang ignited hopes when he made the Javelin Throw final, finishing seventh best in the qualifying round on Thursday, August 10. However, he failed to make an impact, finishing 12th in the final on Saturday, August 12.
The 28-year-old Punjab athlete qualified for the final with a throw of 84.22m, which was close to his personal best of 84.57m.
However, on the big day, Davinder, who was struggling due to a shoulder injury that he had been carrying throughout the campaign, came up with a drab show. His first throw of 75.40m was no way near the top-eight. His second was disqualified.
With his third attempt, Davinder only managed 80.02m, which was not enough for him to make the cut to the last three rounds of the final.
With Davinder's exit from the final, India's campaign also came to a disappointing end. Of the 25 athletes, who travelled to London, only one made the final and none finished on the podium.
Vetter takes Gold, Rio Silver medalist Yego finishes last
Germany's Johannes Vetter took the Gold with a throw of 89.89m. Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch (89.73m) and Petr Frydrych (88.32m) finished 2-3 on the big night.
On the other hand, reigning Olympic champion Thomas Rohler finished a disappointing fourth after failing to better his second attempt of 88.26m.
The Javelin Throw final in London was a bag of surprises as Rio Olympics Silver medalist and 2015 World Championships Gold medalist Julius Yego of Kenya finished below Davinder after becoming the only athlete to have not touched the 80m-mark in the final.
Check out how the Javelin Throw final unfolded on Saturday.
1:18am IST: It's over for Davinder. He throws 80.02m in his third attempt, which will not be enough to help him join the top-eight for the last three rounds. It looks like the Punjab athlete struggled due to his shoulder injury concerns.
1:12am IST: Davinder drops to the last spot after Rio Olympic silver medallist Julius Yugo of Kenya, who fouled his first attempt, throws 76.29, surpassing the Indian's mark of 75.40m.
1:05am IST: Disappointing! Davinder comes up with a foul throw in his second attempt. One last throw remaining. He needs to throw more than the 81m-mark to finish among the top-eight.
Bizarre!!! Kang runs in and doesn't throw. Goes back to a short run up. Throws a poor one around 70M. Touches the line. DQ.#IAAFWorlds
— Sundeep Misra (@MisraSundeep) August 12, 2017
1:02am IST: Davinder's first attempt of 75.40m is the lowest among the 12 fair throws in the first-round. He needs to considerably improve to finish among the top-eight and make the last round of the final.
12:58am IST: Nine men have made their first attempt so far, and the Indian holds the last spot.
Germany's Johannes Vetter tops the list with 89.89m. Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott is second with 84.48m.
12:55am IST: Davinder Singh's first throw is 75.40m, which is below-par.
12:45am IST: We're all set for the final. Davinder is third on the startlist. Season-topper Vetter is likely to throw fifth.
12:30am IST: While you are waiting for the action to begin, check out what Davinder's coach Kashinath Naik has to say about his ward's chances of finishing on the podium on Sunday.
"Stat Alert: At the 2015 Worlds, the Gold medal-winning throw was 92.72m, while the Bronze medalist threw 87.64m," Kashinath told the Firstpost.
12: 30am IST: Davinder qualified with a throw of 84.22m, which was close to his personal best of 84.57m. His throw is the seventh best among 13 contestants.
However, Germany's Johannes Vetter and Thomas Rohler are favourites to finish 1-2 after coming up with the only 90m-plus throws this season.
Stat Alert: At the 2015 Worlds, the Gold medal-winning throw was 92.72m, while the Bronze medalist threw 87.64m.
12:25am IST [Sunday]: We are exactly 20 minutes away from the start of the big final. Will Davinder be able to finish on the podium? Tell us in the comments section.
All you need to know about Davinder Singh Kang | For live streaming information can be found below
12:15am IST: Final format -- A total of 13 athletes will be in action in the final. Each athlete will have three throws in the initial round and the top-eight will progress to the next round of the final. The top eight will then have three more throws, which will determine the medalists.
Check out our preview below.
London will witness the penultimate day action of the world meet on Saturday, August 12. With quite a few big events, including the 4x100m relay and 5,000m final scheduled for the day, the focus shifts to Javelin Throw final, which will see 13 athletes battling for glory.
The 28-year-old athlete from Punjab exceeded expectations when he outclassed compatriot and world junior champion Neeraj Chopra in the qualification round on Thursday, August 10 to become the first Indian to reach the final of Javelin Throw in a World Championships edition.
Tough job awaiting Davinder
Davinder will face an uphill task in the final after qualifying seventh among the 13 finalists. His qualifying throw of 84.22m was close to his personal best of 84.57m, which he achieved in the first leg of India Grand Prix Athletics in Patiala earlier this year.
Davinder's throw was also better than reigning Olympic champion Thomas Rohler's effort of 83.87m in the qualifying round, but the German along with his compatriots Johannes Vetter and Andreas Hofmann have been in brilliant form this season and are looking set to clean sweep the Men's Javelin Throw event.
Rohler won the Olympic final with a 90.30m throw and the Bronze medalist Keshorn Walcott threw 85.38m.
Live streaming and TV coverage information
India: TV: Star Sports Select 2/HD 2. Live streaming: Hotstar
UK: TV: BBC. Live streaming: BBC iPlayer
US: TV: NBCSN. Live streaming: NBC Sports Live
Canada: TV: CBC. Live streaming: CBC Player
Rest of Europe: TV: Eurosport. Live streaming: Eurosport Live
Africa: TV: Supersport. Live streaming: Supersport online
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