Neeraj Chopra begins his quest for a World Athletics Championships title on July 21, facing two additional challenges. As the Olympic champion, he would be the man to beat, the one other competitors will measure themselves against besides their own personal best distances. Two, only one other Indian has won a medal at the World Championships in athletics, putting Chopra in a unique position.
Anju Bobby George’s bronze medal in long jump in Paris 2003, nearly 20 years ago, leaves a long draught for a medal for the country. But Chopra is used to being in the position. Last year, he became the first Indian to win an individual track and field medal, a gold no less, in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
He has set himself up for these Championships that started July 15 in Oregon, US, with a silver medal finish on June 30 in Stockholm. In the Wanda Diamond League, his throw of 89.94m was a new national record, a personal best, but not good enough for a gold medal ahead of Anderson Peters’ 90.31m.
“When he (Peters) crossed 90m, I wanted (that) too,” Neeraj Chopra said after the event. “Everything has to work perfectly—only then do you get such a long throw. When we put in that effort in every throw, you get tired too.”
A World Championship medal will further strengthen Chopra’s position in the sport’s merit list—he currently is ranked fourth in the world, with Peters on top. In sport, like several other fields, you are only as good as the last medal, record or achievement.
But there is a long road ahead for the 24-year-old Chopra, including breaching the desired 90m mark. Besides, he has competitors like Peters, the 2019 world champion, with a personal best of 93.07m. This mark, set in Doha in May, was Peters’ third throw over 90—all three have come in the space of two months—and he is the same age as Chopra.
After Chopra unleashed a 89.94m in his opening salvo in Sweden, Peters replied with a 90.31 in the fourth round to practically seal the deal. He rubbed further salt into the wounds by declaring that he was not in great shape, having suffered a back injury. “It is still getting better but I hope to be back in a really good shape soon,” the World Athletics Championships website quoted him as saying. “Getting the 90m throw here was really good. I was very much motivated by Neeraj to get a 90m throw because he started the competition so well, with a national and meeting record.”
If Peters wins at Eugene, Oregon, he would become the first male javelin thrower with back-to-back world titles since Czech Jan Zelezny in 1993-95.
Neither Chopra nor Peters will have to contend with second ranked German Johannes Vetter, who is out with a shoulder injury. Vetter was expected to win at the Olympics last year, but was shockingly eliminated after three throws. His claim to fame is to routinely go over 90m, the benchmark for javelin throwers.
Vetter’s best, 97.76m set in September 2020, is the second-best throw of all time, behind Zelezny’s 98.48m set in 1996. Zelezny’s record has already stayed strong for 26 years—Bob Beamon set a record in long jump that survived 23 years. If anyone, Vetter is best set to go past Zelezny, though some suspect it’s one of those records that may not be surpassed.
Vetter also has the third best mark of all time, 96.29m set in 2021 and he is still only 29, leaving him some wriggle room to go past Zelezny.
The last time Chopra participated in the World Championships, as a teenager in 2017, he finished seventh with a throw of 82.26m. It was way before he became the athlete we see today. In the interim five years, he has won a gold medal in the Asian Games (2018), the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (2018) besides the Tokyo Olympics.
His progression, as a stronger athlete, is traceable: from a best of 86.79m in Kuortane, Finland, last June to 89.94m exactly a year later. Chopra is still maturing as a sportsperson, with greater experience and more nuanced training, the 90m threshold is bound to be broken. The indications are all there—seven of his 10 best career throws have come in the last two years.
“Every day is different, every competition is different,” he said a few weeks ago. “When I start this competition (the World Championships), I will know if I feel pressure of being an Olympic champ. I usually play with a free mind.”
Chopra also has had a slow start to the season, after being caught up in a whirlwind of promotions, celebrations and appearances since his Olympic gold last August. Such is the rarity of an Olympic gold medal in India that everyone wants to be a part of it, to have a sense of ownership.
He resumed training after Tokyo only in December 2021; started his season with the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Turku on June 14, setting a national record 89.30m. He finished second to 25-year-old Finn Oliver Helander, who came up with a career-best 89.83m.
“I am close to 90 metres,” Chopra said after Stockholm before setting the ground rules for the World title. “I know I can throw it this year. A lot of guys now are capable of throwing over 90 metres. I think it will take 89 metres-plus to win in Eugene.”
A gold in Oregon will put him in a rare group of two other athletes to have followed up an Olympic title with a World crown. It will be one of many firsts for India that Chopra may end up with in his career.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
