Mumbai: For an athlete who has gained each main accolade on provide in his sport, Neeraj Chopra continues to search for new peaks to beat. On Tuesday, the 27-year-old javelin star is about to make his debut on the Ostrava Golden Spike meet.
He has lengthy been ready to compete within the japanese Czech metropolis, however missed out within the final two seasons because of damage.
“Once I was child, I watched lots of movies and pictures of athletes (like) Usain Bolt competing right here,” he mentioned to the media in Ostrava forward of the meet. “I got here final 12 months however I didn’t compete due to damage. Now I really feel good, however I don’t need to put any strain on myself for 90m. However I’ll strive actually onerous.”
Unable to compete on the final two editions, he has travelled to Ostrava match and in good kind.
Simply final week, he gained the Paris Diamond League meet with a throw of 88.16m – his first Diamond League win since he clinched prime spot on the Lausanne meet in 2023. However he additionally involves Czechia having achieved that one lacking achievement of crossing 90m.
The 27-year-old has gained gold medals on the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Video games and the Asian Video games. However in Might, he managed to hitch the illustrious 90m membership when he threw his spear 90.23m on the Doha Diamond League meet.
Central to the newest achievements is his new coach Jan Zelezny, who began working with Chopra in November. Zelezny, a three-time Olympic gold medallist is the present world document holder, having flung his javelin 98.48m at a meet in Jena, Germany in 1996.
“I’m actually joyful to work with such an excellent athlete and coach,” Chopra mentioned. “I’ve already thrown 90m this 12 months after somewhat bit extra enchancment in approach, so let’s see when it comes subsequent time however I’m prepared. Just lately we’ve accomplished coaching in Nymbuk (Czechia) so I’ll do my greatest right here in Ostrava.”
This will likely be Chopra’s fifth competitors of the season, however he asserted that they’re all stepping stones in the direction of the World Championships in September, the place the Indian is the defending champion.
The Worlds will happen on the Nationwide Stadium in Tokyo, a venue Chopra has fond reminiscences of. It was there, in 2021, that he turned the second Indian, and the primary from the nation in athletics, to win an Olympic gold medal in a person occasion. The person from Khandra, Haryana had change into a family identify after the achievement and continues to draw a big following wherever he went.
“After the Tokyo Olympics, lots of people recognise me and generally it’s robust. I don’t know if it’s behavior or not, I can’t say ‘no’ to anyone,” he mentioned. “Again then after I was ‘no one’, I had a dream that folks would know one thing about our sport. So now it might not be good if I’d say no to individuals. And I’m joyful that now in India individuals recognise different sports activities than cricket.”
As he seems forward to his return to Tokyo, he’ll take a detour in Bengaluru the place a World Athletics gold-category javelin occasion will likely be held on July 5 – the Neeraj Chopra Basic.
“This will likely be my first actually critical competitors in India with worldwide athletes,” he added. “I nonetheless must handle lots of issues earlier than competitors however will probably be expertise. After Bengaluru, I’ll speak to my coach and arrange the plans for the upcoming occasions until Tokyo.
“However the principle purpose for the season is clearly the World Championships.”
