Neeraj Chopra’s former coach warns Sachin Yadav of 95m throw threat, predicts another Olympic medal

Former coach predicts Neeraj Chopra will breach the 95 meter mark soon.

Neeraj Chopra's performance in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last month was disappointing; as he finished eighth in the men's javelin throw final. Neeraj recorded a best throw of 84.03 meters during the final but was unable to achieve any consistency.

The gold champion from Tokyo 2020 struggled to gain momentum and was unable to reach the 85-meter mark. In the penultimate round, he was also eliminated. Sachin Yadav, placed fourth, was another hero for India in the meantime.

In an interview with Sportstar, Neeraj's old coach Klaus Bartonietz, who led Keshorn Walcott to victory in the championship match, expressed particular admiration for Sachin, who came within 40 centimeters of a podium finish.

"I wouldn’t have been surprised if Sachin had won a medal. Half a metre more and he would have been on the podium. He was already over 86 metres and at that distance, 40 centimetres is nothing," he said.

"He’s very tall. That’s a great benefit, but he’s also technically very sound. These guys are all strong, but it’s not about how much you can lift or sprint. Sachin’s best points are that he’s both powerful and technically good. He has a very stable front leg and great coordination."

Sachin was also given a warning by the German. "Do I think he can throw 90 metres? Of course he can. It’s very possible," he said.

"I don’t even think 95 metres is impossible for Sachin. But you need to be realistic. Neeraj threw 86m in 2016 and it took him nearly nine years to get to 90 in competition. Neeraj started young. He was 18 when he threw 86m. Sachin is around 24 or 25. And the road to 95m is very stony. It takes a lot out of you. (Johannes) Vetter threw 97m and paid the price with his body. That number can play with your head too," he added.

He predicted that Neeraj would win another Olympic medal, saying, "He has the capacity to win another Olympic medal. Jan Zelezny did it three times, so he knows what it takes mentally. Neeraj’s still young, 27 or 28. He aims high but isn’t overconfident — that’s important. He’s dealt with injury before, and he’s thrown 90 metres. He also has a very good physiotherapist in Ishan Marwaha, who’s worked with him for years. That helps. I think he’ll be in contention again."