Neeraj Chopra was visibly struggling enroute his second-place finish at the Lausanne Diamond League. A long-term issue in his adductors has been triggering some discomfort in his groin for the better part of a year now, forcing him to focus on injury prevention more than going all-out in his throws. Thursday night in the Swiss city was no different.
After throwing in the 83m range for most part of the night, Neeraj faced the possibility of finishing outside the top three in an international tournament for the first time since 2018.
However, two clutch throws - efforts of 85.58m and 89.49m respectively - in his last two attempts, not only helped him finish in the top bracket once more, but nearly got him close to the magical yet elusive 90m mark yet again.
“In the beginning it was really hard today. My body didn’t feel good. But I pushed myself mentally in the fifth and last attempt. In the last attempt, I really won because (Anderson) Peters threw 90 meters. And the body didn’t feel good but the fighting spirit was really nice today. I really liked that comeback with my second best throw,” Neeraj told broadcasters after his event.
His 89.49m effort was his season’s best mark and his second-best throw ever. Incidentally, Neeraj’s top three throws have all come in second place finishes.
“In the last throw I didn’t think much and I just gave my best. I think too much. In the beginning I was thinking I have to do this, do that. But Julius Yego told me, ‘Stay relaxed, you will throw far.’ So I tried to stay relaxed and hit it clean.
While Neeraj revealed his injury flare ups have not been too worrisome since the Paris Olympics, he credited his physio - Ishan Marwaha - for keeping things in order.
“Luckily after Paris, it was not too much. So I did some treatment with my physio. He did really well and I feel good. I did some very easy throwing sessions after Paris. And it was a strange competition today. In the beginning I did not feel that I could throw that far but in the end it was really good.”
In an interaction with the media ahead of the Lausanne meet, Neeraj told mediapersons that he intended to finish his season at Brussels after the Diamond League final on September 13-14. He also has the option of competing in the Zurich Diamond League on September 5.
“We will see. Maybe maximum one more competition and then (I’ll) finish the season.”
When asked what his goals for next season are, Neeraj was quick to direct attention to his fitness.
“First my goal to go to the doctor and I want to make my groin 100% fit. It will help me be more technically better next year and then maybe I will try to throw far again.”
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