Tokyo becomes a place of grief for Julian Weber

The width for a World Cup medal would have been in it for Julian Weber. But the German javelin throw star had problems-and is not the first in Tokyo.

Julian Weber traveled to Tokyo to fulfill the dream of the long-awaited medal at the World Athletics Championship. The German spear thrower had the best prerequisites: Weber recently won the Diamond League in Zurich and, with 91.51 meters, not only set up his personal best, but also the world year best. After Tokyo he traveled to gold as a favorite.

For Weber, an unsightly scenario is repeated on an international stage. He stays without gold, silver and bronze at World Championships and Olympic Games. He leaves Tokyo for the second time without a medal.

At the Olympic Games four years ago, Weber narrowly missed the podium. The German javelin throw star finished fourth with 85.30 meters. However, in 2021 this was the best of the season for the native Mainz. He lacked 14 centimeters of bronze.

This time it should be different, this time it should be gold. Before the World Cup, the DLV athlete said to T-Online: “I feel great. It would definitely be a huge dream if I could finally win a medal at a World Cup.” But this burst again.

Already two years ago at the World Cup in Budapest, the athlete living in Berlin was considered a candidate for medal. And as the very last German hope for precious metal. Because until his competition, no DLV athlete and no DLV athlete had succeeded in reaching the top three. Weber gave everything – and was fourth again with 85.79 meters.

And at the Olympic Games in Paris? Even then it just didn’t work with a throw that would have resulted in a place on the podium. Weber became sixth with 87.40 meters.

In Tokyo at the World Cup, Julian Weber could have won silver with his Olympic width from last year. The vastness of the world champion Keshorn Walcott was more than feasible for the German at 88.16 meters. He knew that himself. “That would have been the chance. Now it was not possible for me to get this medal again. It is really annoying,” said Weber.