Chopra hopes to break the 90m barrier soon
NEW DELHI: India’s top athletics hope Neeraj Chopra has not had a single competition for a year now and the javelin thrower says he needs a series of tough meets to get into rhythm and bolster his chances for the Tokyo Olympics.
Currently in the training camp in Bhubaneswar, Chopra is eyeing a return to action at the Federation Cup on March 15. He wants to be based in Europe after that and take part in competitions to prepare for Tokyo. The Diamond League, starting from March 23, is in his scheme of things.
“It is very important to get high-intensity competition against the top throwers of the world before the Olympics, so I need to play in at least six international competitions before Tokyo. I also need to give time for recovery and training. So, the events have to be spaced out, maybe one or two big events every month,” he said in an interactive session.
Chopra said it has been almost two years since he took part in major international events. Throughout 2019 he was recovering from an elbow injury that required surgery. He made a strong return in January last year, sealing qualification for the Olympics in his very first attempt, with a throw of 87.86 metres at the ACNW League meeting in South Africa. The pandemic has disrupted his preparations since then. He was in national camps at Patiala, and is now in the Odisha capital with other throwers, including Shivpal Singh, who has also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics (85.47).
“It has been a long time. I need to have that feeling of getting into competitive mode and prepare my mind. The only positive side is I was able to qualify in 2020, immediately on my return from injury. So, there are no negative thoughts,” he said.
Chopra can draw motivation from his 87.86m in South Africa ending up as the season’s second best effort, behind German Johannes Vetter’s massive 97.76 at the Continental Tour Gold level meet in September. It was only 72cm off the world record of Czech three-time Olympic champion Jan Zelezny (98.48).
The 23-year-old doesn’t feel any pressure seeing the performances of the world’s leading throwers, though he knows what it will take to get into medal contention in Tokyo.
“Last year, Vetter threw very well. Then there is Thomas Rohler (Germany’s Rio Olympics
champion), Magnus Kirt (Estonia), Andreas Hofmann (Germany)—they have all thrown beyond 90s and are training well. It looks like it will be a strong competition and one has to throw 90 plus.”
That was the target when Chopra returned from injury. His personal best is 88.06m, his winning throw at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
“If I want to be counted among the top throwers in the world I have to go beyond 90m. I can achieve that if I can throw
with consistency in two-three events. While throwing I do not think about the distance, but to give my best. The biggest problem was that I could not get any competition last year. I was feeling I could do well.”
South Africa plans shelved
There were discussions of travelling abroad for competitions but it did not materialise due to restrictions during the pandemic. A recent plan to go to South Africa for training also had to be shelved.
There were competitions in Europe, and a curtailed Diamond League season from September. “I felt like going out because I had good training last year and qualified in the very first competition, but the athletics team was not sent. We then wanted to go to South Africa but a new strain came so that had to be cancelled. You can’t go to Europe now because of cold conditions. There were no other options looking at the weather and the corona situation.”
Chopra has been training under bio-mechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz, working to improve his throwing technique.
“If you see in the Continental Cup and also in Diamond League my javelin was going left. I am working on the release and throwing in a good direction so that I don’t have a foul throw. I am also working on increasing my strength.”
The uncertainty regarding the Olympics is the other big question. “There are so many reports coming, whether it will happen or not. We athletes work with a target in mind and this sort of uncertainty sometimes leaves you de-motivated. I am giving my best in training and know that I will be well prepared for the Tokyo Olympics.”