Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra aims to surpass his personal best of 88.07m
India’s Neeraj Chopra during the javelin throw final on Saturday. Pic/PTI
A history-scripting Olympic gold medal in his pocket, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s next target is breaching the 90m mark soon in the coming events.
In fact, Chopra, who clinched the country’s maiden athletics medal to become only the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics, went for it while trying for the Games record (90.57m) on Saturday but could not accomplish it.
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“Javelin throw is a very technical event and a lot depends on the day’s form. Anything can happen. So, my next target is to breach the 90m [mark],” said Chopra, 23, after his historic feat. “I was just focussing on Olympics this year. Now that I have won the gold, I will plan ahead for the upcoming competitions. After coming to India, I will again look for a foreign visa to take part in international events,” he added.
After pulling out of the Gateshead Diamond League on July 13, Chopra had said that he could participate in the remaining legs of the elite one-day meeting series after the Olympics.
The son of a farmer from Haryana produced a second-round throw of 87.58m in the finals to end India’s 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics.
The Olympics is the grandest stage for any athlete and can be intimidating but not for Chopra, who said he did not take any pressure and was going about his job just like he does at any other international event. “There was no pressure and I was taking it [Olympics] just like any other event. It was like I have played against these athletes before and there’s no reason to worry. I was able to focus on my performance. That has helped me win gold.Yes, I did think about India not winning a medal in athletics but once I get hold of my javelin, all these things do not come to my mind,” he said.
Asked how he was able to come up with big throws in his first two attempts, he said, “If the first throw goes well, then it releases the pressure. That happened. The second throw was also very good. I knew at the point of release both will go far. That must have put pressure on the other athletes.”
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