US Javelin Star Breaks 18-Year-Old Curse After Defeating Neeraj Chopra & Others at World Athletics Championships Team USA secures its first javelin medal in nearly two decades, outshining Olympic cham

Back in 2023, at the World Championships in Budapest, Team USA reigned supreme with 12 gold, 8 silver, and 9 bronze medals, 29 in total, cementing their status as the powerhouse of track and field. Fast forward to Day 6 of the 2025 edition, and the Americans are already making waves with 10 medals (7 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze). Sure, the sting of Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson losing their world titles may linger, but this squad refuses to bend. Proof? Curtis Thompson ’s bronze in the javelin, ending an 18-year drought for the U.S. in the event and etching his name in history.

With giants like Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem, and Julian Weber in the field, Curtis Thompson entered as the ultimate underdog, a storyline straight out of a Hollywood director’s cut. In the