On the fifth day of the World Championships in Tokyo, Ukraine will be represented by 21-year-old Artur Felfner, who will compete in the men’s javelin throw. He is the youngest member of the national team – yet in his case, youth by no means equals inexperience. Despite his age, Felfner already boasts a solid track record at major international competitions.
Last year, he made his Olympic debut in Paris, where he finished 15th with a throw of 81.84m. The World Championships in Tokyo will be his second appearance at this level: in 2023 in Budapest, Felfner exited in the qualification round (32nd). In 2024, he placed 8th at the European Championships in Rome and went on to win the European Cup.
At the youth level, his achievements are even more impressive: Felfner is a World U20 champion and silver medalist (2022, 2021), a two-time European U23 champion (2023, 2025), as well as a European junior champion.
This season has been challenging for Felfner due to health issues, yet even with a limited number of competitions, he has shown strong results. He finished second at the European Team Championships in Madrid (80.54m), defended his European U23 title (81.14m), and won the Ukrainian national title for the third time (80.70m).
His personal best is 84.32m, set on June 9, 2022, in Slovenia — a mark that still stands as the Ukrainian U20 record. His season’s best in 2025 is 81.14m, which currently places him 44th on the world list.
In an interview with Zhorskaya Atletyka after the Ukrainian Championships in Lviv, Felfner shared his thoughts:
Does the limited number of competitions this season bother you ahead of the World Championships?
“Of course it does, but that’s sport. I’m only 21, and I believe my peak will come at 23–24. So I’m not taking it too hard — everything will be fine.”
What’s your ultimate goal for the World Championships?
“The final. To get there, I’ll need to throw 82–83m — and that would be awesome. It would be a great way to finish the season!”
Zhorskaya Atletyka’s forecast
The world leaders in men’s javelin this season are consistently throwing beyond 90m. The best mark belongs to Germany’s Julian Weber (91.51m), who has yet to claim a World Championships medal — his motivation will be sky-high.
A rising star, Brazil’s Luiz Mauricio da Silva, has made a major breakthrough in 2025, surpassing the 91m barrier. If he can reproduce such a performance in Tokyo, a medal seems certain.
The third man over 90m this year is Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra, who set a new Indian record of 90.23m in May. Last year, Chopra lost the Olympic title to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who threw 92.97m in Paris and will also be in contention in Tokyo. With this level of talent — and all of the top 12 of the season throwing beyond 85m — the men’s javelin final promises to be fiercely competitive. Reaching the final will require an outstanding effort.
Artur Felfner comes into the World Championships not in peak condition, hampered by health problems and limited starts this year. However, his advantages are his experience on the big stage and his ability to deliver in decisive moments — something he has proven by winning medals with his very last attempt. The realistic goal for Felfner in Tokyo is to fight for a place in the final. If he arrives in good shape and manages to find his best throw, he has every chance of finishing in the world’s top 12.
When to watch
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Men’s javelin qualification: Wednesday, September 17, Group B (with Artur Felfner), starting at 14:45. Direct qualification standard for the final is 84.50m.
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Final: Thursday, September 18, 13:23.
