Vetter cancels comeback in Offenburg: Weber wins strongly!

Vetter cancels comeback in Offenburg: Weber wins strongly!

Johannes Vetter, the 29-year-old former javelin throw world champion, aborted his comeback in Offenburg on June 1, 2025 after just one attempt. This competition, which was marred by unfavorable wind conditions and downpours, proved unfortunate for Vetter, who wanted to return to the track after a year-long injury layoff. His only throw fell short, which forced Vetter to end the competition early. The victory went to Julian Weber, who dominated the competition with an impressive distance of 86.18 meters and thus recorded his third victory of this World Cup season. Vetter most recently struggled with elbow surgery in 2022, which caused him to cancel the European Championships in Munich and the World Championships in Eugene.

Julian Weber, who among other things won gold at the last European Championships, was cheerful after the competition and said that he was in top shape and was preparing for the upcoming World Championships. These will take place in Tokyo from September 13th to 21st. What is particularly noteworthy is that Weber achieved a best distance of 91.06 meters in Doha in mid-May. Vetter, who led the world rankings in the past and won 19 competitions in a row, remains below his potential. His last competition was at the German Championships in Braunschweig, where he missed qualifying for the Olympics after being injured at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Challenges and review

The circumstances that led to Vetter's comeback are not easy. However, after a shoulder infection and the fact that he had to cancel the World Championships and European Championships in 2022, he sees the injury-related break as an opportunity to extend his career. His coach Boris Obergföll believes that with the right physique, Vetter can be able to throw over 90 meters again. “I am my biggest competitor,” Vetter emphasized several times, thereby taking his own high standards into account.

The challenges Vetter now faces are diverse. In addition to training in a special camp in Belek, Türkiye, the big goals are the World Cup in Budapest in 2023 and the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. In order to improve his technique, Vetter and Obergföll are working intensively on new throwing techniques and are also testing new surfaces in the training facility in Offenburg.

A look into the future

Johannes Vetter's best distance of 97.76 meters from 2020 remains the second largest distance in modern javelin throw history, and many fans and experts hope that he can achieve these achievements again despite the setbacks. The upcoming competitions are likely to be crucial in determining whether Vetter can continue his javelin throwing career at a high level and whether he will be a medal candidate at the upcoming World Championships and Olympic Games.

The coming weeks and months will therefore be crucial for Johannes Vetter, not only to find his form, but also to reorient himself mentally and physically. The challenge of asserting himself against strong competitors like Julian Weber is great, but Vetter has shown through his experience that with sufficient training and determination he can build on previous successes.