When Thomas Röhler won Olympic gold at Rio in 2016, the javelin throw world was very different to what it is today. The final had eight Europeans out of the 12 competitors. The next two Olympic champions have been from South Asia including, in 2021, Neeraj Chopra - the man at whose tournament Rohler will compete in on July 5, at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru.
However, this is a very different Röhler to the one in the late 2010s who broke the 90m barrier seven times (including 90.30m to win that Olympic gold). A serious back injury he suffered in 2020, which robbed him of the chance to defend his gold in Tokyo, has taken its toll: since the start of 2021, Röhler has competed in 21 events and in only three of those has he crossed 80m.
The good news for him, though, is that two of those came in 2025 when, at the age of 33, he is trying to re-start his career. His motivation? Los Angeles 2028, when Röhler will be almost 37.
"My main target is 2028, the Olympics. Coming from the Olympic background, the Olympics are definitely the one thing that motivates me. It's only my own body and my own responsibility that could say no to that plan," he tells ESPN.
How tough will that be, especially given that this is perhaps the most competitive era in javelin throwing? Röhler, though, doesn't agree that this is the most competitive the sport has ever been. The most global, yes, as the successes of Neeraj and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem testify. The most competitive? He points to some years where the German national championships were perhaps the most competitive javelin throwing events in the world.
He does agree though that the field is overall stronger, and he needs to be throwing in the high 80s to keep up with it, unlike say London 2012, when Keshorn Walcott won with a throw of 84.58m.
As it stands, everything is going according to his plan, Röhler says. He's working on his speed and his run-up. He calls it a bit tricky but also reflects on how happy he is to just be out on track throwing again.
As good as that is for Röhler, surely it must be a strange feeling to be struggling to reach the 80s? His motivation at the moment, in addition to his drive for the Olympic stage again, comes from his passion for javelin throwing.
"I just enjoy the sport. Ups and downs are part of the process. Coming from the role as an Olympic champion, you can always have an impact and print a positive footprint on a global basis. For me, competing is a way of expression of sports. It is pure joy. I love the fact that I am getting back on track, that I can compete with the best in the world again," he said.
In these years in between, Röhler hasn't been a '24x7 athlete', in his own words. He has also created a life for himself outside of his own professional javelin throwing career. He does online coaching, he speaks for brands, he does workshops for businesses. He enjoys it, he says, carrying the Olympic values to society.
In coaching young talents, Röhler speaks of how he emphasizes on the need to not be a 24x7 athlete. ". In our team at Javelin, we do take care of education, we do take care of a life besides javelin throwing, because it is a risky game. We do have to take responsibility for ourselves, and also sports shouldn't be a 24x7 thing, because the more time you invest in it, the more your brain is grinding on it. So you need some time when sports is just not there in your life," he said.
For Röhler himself, he knew when he started off that javelin wouldn't pay for his life. He'd need to work with brands and sponsors, and that is exactly what he's setting out to do as an entrepreneur now, working with both athletes and brands.
Los Angeles 2028 is a long way away for him, but Röhler is still finding joy in throwing, and perhaps has a lesson or two for the rest of the field at the moment, most of them in their mid-20s. It's never too late. "Never stop changing," he says, referring to one of the modules in his workshops for his students.