On the shoulders of the 23-year-old javelin thrower from Panipat rests India's hopes of an elusive medal. The Athletics Federation of India has fielded a 26-member team for Tokyo 2020, and Neeraj Chopra is the prime and, perhaps, the lone contender for a medal. No Indian athlete has ever had an Olympic podium finish; Chopra is expected to change that and script a new chapter in Indian athletics.
On June 10, Chopra, thanks to Sports Authority of India and sponsors JSW Sports, competed for the first time in over a year at the Meeting Cidade de Lisboa in Lisbon, where, despite the slippery runway and other issues, he struck gold with a throw of 83.18m. The Lisbon event was a warm-up for two subsequent competitions. It was also a ticket to compete in Europe and gain exposure ahead of Tokyo 2020. The men’s javelin throw is scheduled on August 4 and 7.
Said Chopra to THE WEEK, "The three competitions I took part in Europe went well for me…. I had to face a lot of hurdles to get here. I had to run around to get my visa. My focus remains on Tokyo."
Said Klaus Bartonietz, Chopra’s coach, “In Karlstad [Grand Prix in Sweden] there was cold rain when the game began. It was just 13°C to 15°C, and the javelin was slipping out of the hands of the throwers. But, Neeraj, despite this problem, clinched the gold. In the Kuortane Games [in Finland], Neeraj felt new, encircled by world champions, an Olympic champion, and he did well in almost optimal conditions."
Chopra, the reigning Commonwealth and Asian Games champion, was starved of competition. The three recent outings have assuaged his hunger somewhat.
Said Chopra, “These competitions helped a lot…. Competitions are important. We train for them. If we don’t get competitions, what's the use of training so hard?"
Also read
- Spotlight is firmly on the women at Tokyo Olympics
- Tokyo 2020: India aims to match or better London 2012
- With 4 seeded wrestlers in squad, it would be surprising if India draws blank in Tokyo
- India’s largest boxing contingent is looking to make history
- Tokyo 2020: Dutee Chand focused on realistic target
Chopra is currently world No 4. Johannes Vetter of Germany is No 1, with consistent throws over the 90m mark in the last one-and-a-half years. Vetter's best this year is 96.29m, against Chopra's 88.07m. Vetter is, undoubtedly, the favourite to win the gold. The fight for the remaining two medals is expected to go four ways—between Marcin Krukowski of Poland, Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, Gatis Cakss of Latvia and Chopra. None of them have breached the 90m mark this season.
Said Bartonietz, "The top javelin throwers have their strong sides, but they also have their weak sides. At the performance level of 88m-90m and beyond, mental toughness on a specific day and time will become critical…”
Speaking about Vetter and his consistency, Chopra was anything but unnerved. "Vetter is consistently throwing well, but I don’t feel any pressure,” said Chopra, “It is an individual throw and we have to throw our best. I feel I am ready. There is a difference of 2m if I release well. I have already thrown 88m and above. So, it is not such a big distance to cover. You just need to release well."