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'Throwers don't have a finish line,' peerless Neeraj Chopra yearns for more
Chopra expressed confidence the 90m effort will come, after winning a historic world javelin title in a first for India
A CV that reads like a dream, a following that rivals those of movie stars, and a penchant to rewrite history. Neeraj Chopra, it is easy to assume, must have been a satisfied man on Sunday after winning gold in a World Championships final. Scratch the surface though, and you'll meet a fairly dissatisfied achiever lurking behind that playful smile.
"I still have a lot to achieve. It's not as if I have won all these medals so I'll rest easy. I want to repeat this success year after year. I also want more Indians to join me on the podium. That will be fun," he said after becoming the first Indian to win a World Athletics Championships gold.
"I am a thrower and we throwers don't have a finish line. So, I'll keep going. Motivation has never been a problem for me. There is always room for improvement. My throwing can definitely get better. I wanted to give my all today too but the adductor strain was also playing on my mind," he added.
The world title completes a set. He now has the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Olympics and Diamond League titles, in that order. Still only 25 and already commanding a following at home -- DP Manu and K Jena finished in the top six at the final -- Chopra can well feel satisfied.
Chopra is already the greatest Indian athlete. Shooter Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, comes is up there though he didn't win an Asian Games gold. Wrestler Sushil Kumar won Olympic silver and bronze and a world championships title.
Chopra, mindful of his place in history, was humble in his assessment. "It feels nice to win all these medals. The competition at the World Championships can be tougher than the Olympics and you can't take any competitor lightly. European throwers can come up with a winning throw anytime. As far as GOAT athlete is concerned, I don't think I am there yet. I am not even the greatest in my sport, I think Jan Zelezny is the greatest javelin thrower of all time," Chopra said.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla was a lot more forthcoming. "For someone who has won all these medals, I think this debate is a no-brainer," he declared.
Chopra entered the final as the leading contenders, as the only finalist to have qualified on his first throw. The start was not great though as Chopra fouled his first throw before roaring back with an 88.17m effort that proved the winning throw.
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem responded with his season-best effort of 87.82m in the third attempt to go second. Chopra admitted he felt the pressure.
"When the competitors start doing well, you feel some pressure. You know you have to put a big throw in. I was prepared to bring out my best throw on my last attempt. I have a very strong belief that if needed, I can do that. I train for it," he said. Chopra needed to dig deep at the 2017 Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, in Eugene, at the Lausanne Diamond League last year. While the 2017 title arrived on his last throw, the Eugene silver was sealed on the tense fourth attempt and the Lausanne title came on the fifth throw.
"I like to get a big throw early in the competition, but sometimes it may not happen depending on how the body is feeling or the conditions. Both in Bhubaneswar and Eugene, my medal throws arrived quite late. Ultimately, it all comes down to belief," he said.
The final standings had Chopra followed by Nadeem (87.82m) and the seasoned Jakub Vadlejch (86.67m). It was the ninth time Chopra and Nadeem were competing against each other with the Indian getting the better of the Pakistani on all occasions. The two couldn't go head to head at last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where Nadeem won gold with a 90m-plus throw but the two share a cordial relationship.
Asked to comment on the rivalry, Chopra said, "People make it to be a rivalry but there is no bad blood between us. Even today, he came up to me and we congratulated each other. It was nice to have two Asians on the podium. It felt nice that he threw well today. There is always that India-Pak pressure and I am sure that will be amplified at the Asian Games. If you can deal with that pressure, you can deal with the Olympics pressure."
Having won everything there is in his sport, the only box that needs ticking is getting that elusive 90m throw. Chopra said he was confident of breaching the mark this year but the adductor strain derailed his plans.
"I was shaping up to get there early this year but the muscle strain meant I needed to be cautious and avoid injuries. I have been throwing 88m since 2018 so a 90m throw may come anytime. There was a time when I would think about it, but not anymore. I have left it to time and destiny.
For me, winning medals is more important than hitting 90m," he concluded.
