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Neeraj Chopra's ex-coach key reason behind Keshorn Walcott's comeback gold, decision to part ways backfires
Dr Klaus Bartonietz is Neeraj Chopra's former coach and a key figure in his glittering career. The German is currently working with Keshorn Walcott.
If one closely observed Keshorn Walcott's pre-World Athletics Championships preparations, then his gold medal in the men's javelin throw final won't come as a surprise. The Trinidadian athlete eased past all his opponents, including Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem, taking first place with a best throw of 88.16m. The win saw him claim his first global title since his 2012 Olympic gold, which he clinched as a teenager. Heralded as a one-time wonder, the 32-year-old has been working with Neeraj's former coach Dr Klaus Bartonietz.
The duo began working together virtually in October 2024, communicating via video calls and sharing training data. It wasn't until two weeks before the Doha Diamond League this year, that they met in person for the first time, and soon, Walcott relocated to Germany to train near Bartonietz's home.
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Bartonietz and Neeraj parted ways on October 1 last year. He took over as Neeraj's coach after he parted ways with another German, javelin legend Uwe Hohn.
Under Bartonietz, Chopra grew in stature and evolved into a world-class athlete. He won gold at Tokyo Olympics 2020, a Diamond League title in 2022 and gold medals at the World C'ships and Asian Games in 2023. He also bagged silver medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2022 World C'ships.
Keshorn Walcott on Klaus Bartonietz
Speaking to Trinidad and Tobago Newsday recently, Walcott said, "His background is biomechanics, so his approach to training is completely different from what I’ve experienced in the past couple of years. It’s more quality-focused — short and to the point."
"My throw sessions are now averaged under 20 javelin throws. It took a bit of getting used to, especially mentally, because you have to trust the coach and trust your mind."
"When I began to give him 100 per cent was after Doha, when I realised I could get results. Now that I’ve given him full trust, I think we see a lot of potential moving forward," he added.
It looks like Walcott's decision is working and Bartonietz has made him better. The German biomechanics expert was also present at the stadium, as Walcott went past the likes of Neeraj, Arshad and Julian Weber to take gold.
