Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in the Wanda Diamond League final on Thursday (September 8, 2022), he feels, was the apt end to a year in which he continued to break newer barriers.
His 88.44m throw in Zurich made him the first Indian to win a medal in the League final, though Anju Bobby George had won a silver (later upgraded to gold after the winner failed a dope test) in 2005 when the event was called the IAAF World Athletics final.
Chopra started with a foul after the javelin slipped from his hand in his first attempt. But he realised he had a good one the moment the javelin left his hand in the second attempt and he exulted, triumphant, even before the spear had hit the ground. That was the 88.44m, which he could not improve upon in the subsequent four attempts.
“My warmups were good, so I was confident. I (later) got two throws of above 86 because the 88.44 was not satisfactory. But it’s the last competition of the year, so there obviously was fatigue,” Chopra told reporters over a video call from Zurich.
The year-end medal comes after Chopra got a gold in August in the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League, which has 12 meets besides the final. His 89.08m in Lausanne that came in the first attempt was still short of his career-best, 89.94m, which he got in Sweden in June. But Chopra believes in wins rather than personal marks.
“The difference between an 88 and 89 is little. When all the best athletes are in competition and at 85 you get a medal, that means you handled the situation well. That also means the conditions were difficult. Medals are remembered, not the conditions,” he said in Hindi.
It’s also the reason he is not too concerned about the 90m mark, a figure that forms a benchmark in the sport. Johannes Vetter, the 2017 world champion and last year’s Diamond League final winner, for instance, has a personal best of 97.76m and has crossed the 90-mark multiple times.
“90m is a magical mark,” Chopra said. “It’s a barrier. But what’s the point of getting to 90 and not getting a medal. I am happy I was consistent this season. I had a few 89s, 88s… But there is no pressure really of 90. I am never disappointed by it. It will come when it does.”
This has been a consistent year for Chopra who also got a silver medal in the World Championships in Eugene, US, in July with an 88.13m. A groin injury subsequently forced him to pull out of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) where he would have been a favourite for a medal.
He recovered in time for Lausanne, though he didn’t feel his best there. But for Zurich, he decided to push himself a bit as it is the year’s final competition.
“The body is anyway tired, is breaking due to travel, etc., where training and diet are not the best. Recovery does not happen so quickly,” Chopra said. “I did feel bad to miss the CWG which comes once in four years. It was in my mind at the beginning of the year as one of the main events to participate in. But I am happy with my overall good results... We (India) did well in Birmingham. A barrier has now fallen—we can compete and win in international competitions. We have many athletes in the finals (of competitions) and when we go somewhere, we do so for medals (and not just to participate).”
He is aware of the expectations on him, particularly since the Olympic medal last year. “Everyone wants me to win gold,” he said, smiling. “As if there is only one medal… I think people have to understand that there are so many athletes, the field is so competitive... When I got a silver in the World Championships, I could feel people thinking why he has won a silver (and not a gold).
“Competing at that level is big enough. Winning is not everything. Everyone needs support, particularly when losing, because only then they would be able to do better.”
The lengthy celebrations that followed his Olympic win last year, including events, felicitations, commercial obligations, meant that Chopra got back into training rather late. The challenge, for him, was to regain fitness as he had put on weight during the break. He said that he worked on his technique and strength, which shows in his consistency now. The whole celebratory aftermath also taught him and his coach to balance his schedule better, so that when he is training, he is able to focus on it completely. “That should not be compromised,” he said. “Last time, I had eaten a lot and gained weight. I will not rest much now and will train more consistently.”
Chopra goes on a holiday with friends and family who were in Zurich watching him perform before returning home. He will then get cracking for 2023, which has the Asian Games and the World Championships, followed by the Paris Olympics in 2024. He wants more Indian athletes to be sent to competitions abroad, so they can get better. He also wishes to have other Indians in competitions for the camaraderie it allows, having seen other countries’ larger contingents.
“I have only one gear—forward,” he said with a smile. “Athletics is a discipline where you compete with others and yourself—in trying for a personal best.”
“When I warm up, enter the ground, the ‘zone’ comes automatically,” he said, in response to a question about how he gets into the competitive mindset. “I don’t have to do anything special. I have been training for years, which helps. It’s like an automatic mode, not manual.”
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