Chopra throws light on medals pressure
INDIA’S JAVELIN OLYMPICS GOLD MEDALLIST SETS OUT HIS TARGET EVENTS
WINNING a World Championships medal was definitely on his mind, but Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra last Saturday (28) said he would go into the showpiece event in July without taking on too much pressure, which did the trick for him during the Tokyo Olympics.
“During the Olympics last year, I did not take any pressure. I was not thinking that I shall have to win a gold. With that, I did well and won gold. My approach has been to do my best on the day according to the situation. I am satisfied if I do my best and learn and improve for the future,” Chopra said.
“I will do the same during the World Championships and see whatever is the result, whether I win a medal. It's not like [just because] I won gold in the Olympics last year, so I have to win a medal in World Championships this year. I will see what improvement I can make in future.”
“A little bit of pressure is there, it is natural. But I always try to be relaxed, not to think about the result too much, and stay as normal as possible while going into a big event.”
Chopra is looking to make amends for his disappointing show at the 2017 London World Championships, where he failed to qualify for the final round. He did not take part in the 2019 World Championships in Doha as he was recuperating from an elbow surgery.
“I was not in the best of my fitness in London and I had played many competitions by then that season. I could not do well,” said Chopra, who created history by winning the javelin gold in Tokyo with a throw of 87.58m.
Chopra is currently training at Kuortane Olympic Training Centre in Finland, where he arrived last Thursday (26) after shifting his base from Turkey. He will train at Kuortane until June 22 as part of his preparations for the Worlds (July 15-24) in Eugene, in the US, and the Commonwealth Games (CWG, July 28 to August 8) in Birmingham.
His first competition will be at Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku in Finland on June 14. The likes of Johannes Vetter of Germany – who has thrown 90mplus, the most among active athletes – as well as reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who began the season with a massive 93.07m effort at the Doha Diamond League on May 1, will feature in the event.
“My main targets this year are the World Championships, CWG and the Diamond League Finals. I will try to give my best. I will enter the season gradually and whatever result... hopefully I will do well as I am preparing well. Remaining things will depend on the conditions of the day and how my body will respond. I will not take any competition pressure.”
In Turkey, Chopra had not done much throwing practice but was doing other training, such as lifting weights, running and strength work. But now the focus will be more on throwing, he said.
“There will be all other things also, but there will be more focus on throws, on technical things and on distance. I have to set my run-up, how many metres it will be and where to start and cross it and where to stop. We have started on all these things. There is less than three weeks, but all these things are going on well.”