Chopra acknowledges that a back injury hindered his successful title defense in the javelin world championships of India.
India's Neeraj Chopra Finishes Eighth in Men's Javelin Event at World Championships
Neeraj Chopra, the Indian athlete who won Olympic gold in javelin in 2021, ended his campaign at the world championships in Tokyo on a disappointing note. The 24-year-old finished eighth in the same event, falling short of his expectations.
Chopra's struggles began on September 4, when he revealed that he had hurt his back. Despite this setback, he qualified for the competition with his first throw on the previous day. However, his best throw during the competition was 84.03 meters, which is worse than his qualifying mark from the day before.
In an interview after the competition, Chopra admitted that he had been secretly battling a back injury for weeks before the event. He underwent an MRI scan due to the injury and expressed the need for more time for training.
Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott won the men's javelin event with a throw of 88.16 meters. Grenada's Anderson Peters and American Curtis Thompson finished second and third respectively.
Chopra, who was defending his 2023 world title, said that javelin is a tough event and that if an athlete is not in good shape, they are out of the competition. He also mentioned that he was not at 100% during the competition and expressed confusion about his performance on the day, stating that it has not happened for a long time.
Despite the disappointing result, Chopra remains optimistic about his future performances. He plans to watch the competition and check on his throws to identify areas for improvement. He also suggested that he needs more training or to improve his technique.
The training camp where Chopra prepared for the World Championships was in Kenya. Before coming to Tokyo, he had some problems and had back issues two weeks ago.
In the India-Pakistan rivalry, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem finished 10th in the men's javelin event with a best throw of 82.73 meters.
Chopra intends to work on improving his performance and has expressed the need to focus on his recovery and training in the coming days. He remains a strong contender for future competitions and will continue to inspire Indian athletes with his determination and resilience.
