“With the groin injury, I was unable to push myself how I wanted to,” says Neeraj Chopra after Paris Olympics silver

Neeraj Chopra registered a season-best throw of 89.45 metres in his only valid attempt in the final, which was well short of the 92.97m Olympic record throw that won Arshad Nadeem the Olympic title.

Neeraj Chopra during the men’s Javelin throw event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR/The Hindu

Neeraj Chopra said on Saturday that he felt within touching distance of a second consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris but got pulled back by his recurring groin injury.

The 26-year-old registered a season-best throw of 89.45 metres in his only valid attempt in the final. However, his effort proved well short of the monstrous 92.97-metre Olympic-record throw that won Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan the Olympic title.

“I did not think that I could not go that far. You can get those two or three extra metres if you get the release angle right. Even Arshad had a best of 90.18 metres earlier, mine was 89.94. He got those two metres all of a sudden and it was not that I could not have. Again, with the injury, I was unable to push myself how I wanted to.

“The run up was not the best; to make up for that I tried to put more effort into the throw but could not get it right. The second throw was just after Nadeem, I had a positive mindset at that particular point in time. So I got a good throw. Then again, the physical aspect pulled me back. But in my mind, I always thought I could go for it,” Neeraj said addressing a virtual press conference from Switzerland.

Neeraj added that his training sessions in the lead up to the Paris Summer Games were also hampered due to the problem.

Neeraj Chopra in the finals of men’s Javelin throw in Stade de France stadium in Paris on 08 August 2024.Photo: RITU RAJ KONWAR / The Hindu | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR/The Hindu

“The throwing sessions are important in training. I had to limit those because of the injury. If I throw less, I do not get enough chances to work on the technique. It will take time, but once it is sorted, I’m sure the distance will go up,” he said.

Neeraj took part in just three competitions this year before the Olympics and, after his silver on August 8, had said he was pondering going under the knife to solve the problem. However, Neeraj now plans to finish his season with three Diamond League meets — Lausanne, Zurich, and Brussels — and then focus on his treatment.

“The doctors had suggested surgery just a few months before the World Championship in Budapest. I wanted to get that gold, that was the only missing piece. The few sessions before the pain had surfaced, had been good. Then I had to pull out of a few competitions. The doctors said that surgery is the only way to cure this or else the pain can flare up any time. Had I gone for surgery, I would have been out of that World Championship and the remaining year. Plus, the recovery time for the Olympics would have been limited. We got the gold there and then at the Asian Games. Even in the off season, we did not have enough time to recover and come back for the Olympics. So we decided to take a conservative approach till the Olympics and then decide. This year it flared up a bit before Ostrava and I had to stop again. But I was able to come back and now we will decide after the few competitions that are left,” Neeraj said.

The Asian Games gold medallist went to Switzerland after the Olympics to prepare for his upcoming competitions. He said his immediate exercises involve perfecting the minutiae in his technique with coach Klaus Bartonietz.

Javelin throw gold medalist Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (C), silver medalist India’s Neeraj Chopra (L) and bronze medallist Grenada’s Anderson Peters (R) celebrate on the podium. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

“I consider myself lucky to be with such a team. I have been with him (Klaus) since 2019. We have a good relationship, we plan things together. He cannot do much if I do not throw in practice. When I run with the javelin, the strain comes onto the groins when I take the crossover steps. So, that affects the technique.

“Other than that, the line of my throw (can be improved). My throws moved inwards rather than in a straight line in Paris. The arm speed was fine. But the line could have made a difference of a couple of metres. So, now that I am restricted due to my groin, I will focus more on the line and the angle and try to perfect that,” Neeraj said.

Paris: Neeraj Chopra of India competes in the Men Javelin Throw Qualification of the Athletics competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Stade de France stadium in Saint Denis, France, 06 August 2024. (EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA VIA PTI) (PTI08_06_2024_000403A) | Photo Credit: EPA-EFE

The Paris Olympics was added to the list of events where the Indian flirted with the coveted 90-metre mark yet missed it by a small margin. Only 24 throwers have breached the distance and Neeraj said the best way into the elusive club is sticking to the basics.

“I have left it to God. Just work hard, prepare and give it your best, after that whatever has to happen will have. The 90 metre target has been talked about so much now that I have decided to let it be. I will just focus on training and trying to improve what I can in my technique,” he said.