Neeraj Chopra tops chart, primed for medal in javelin final at Tokyo Games
CHENNAI: Neeraj Chopra looked calm. Not easy when the entire nation, nay, the entire javelin world, is focussed on you. Numerous projections and predictions have shown a medal etched against Neeraj’s name.
The qualification stage itself throws up myriad challenges, from mental to physical. One false step or missed run-up and the spear will drop faster or take a wrong trajectory. Anything is possible.
Rio Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Julius Yego (Kenya) and Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago), and Marcin Krukowski (Poland), who had a season’s best of 89.55m, all failed to qualify.
On Tuesday, Rio Olympics bronze medallist, Tomas Walsh of New Zealand, faced the same predicament when he was struggling in shot put with foul throws (his throws were later reinstated).
On Wednesday, Neeraj would have nothing of that sort.
That long mane was chopped but the bandana was wrapped around his forehead.
First throw in his inimitable style with a tumble and the spear flew into the daytime sky, crossed the qualification mark before piercing the ground at 86.65m.
Yes, enough to qualify and that’s the only throw he needed. He was satisfied but not as happy. By his standard (88.07m, a personal best), Wednesday’s was an average throw, enough for qualifying but may not be enough to secure a medal. Johannes Vetter managed 85.64m and barely made it to the final.
Arshad Nadeem on Wednesday.
Nadeem qualified for the final
with a throw of 85.16m
There is Jakub Vadlejch, whose personal best stands at 89.73m.
However, this season he is yet to cross the85m mark.
A medal for Neeraj in this field is just a sniffing distance away. His incredible story — from a modest village near Panipat to the history books after his Under-20 Worlds gold — is well known.
He always had talent but an injury in 2019 was the worst phase of his fledgling career. Out for a year, the thrower managed to qualify early last year.
He left the legendary thrower and coach Uwe Hohn and started training under Klaus Bartonietz, a bio-mechanic specialist.
Not an ideal combination but it has worked. Strength is just part of javelin throw. Generating force in your run-up and transferring energy from the body to the hand, the wrist to the spear, it’s science and perfected into art by human perseverance and practice.
Like all associations, the one with Bartonietz took time to mature.
There were early apprehensions. But as days progressed, especially after the two spent time in Potchefstroom, South Africa, the two started to trust each other.
For Bartonietz, he worked on Chopra’s spear release. Neeraj changed the javelin to Nordic Vallhala during the Indian Grand Prix 3 and that helped him secure that 88.07m, a national record.
Even weight-training was regularised. Video analysis of all his sessions were broken down and the team started to see results.
Manisha Malhotra, sports excellence and scouting head at JSW Sports who worked closely with the Neeraj’s team, said both of them were comfortable working with each other now.
“It took some time but they have worked out a few things and it’s reflecting in his consistency,” said Malhotra. “Klaus Indiakeeps him calm.”
Neeraj’s dropping elbow and the finesse of his release were a couple of areas they concentrated on working on.
The Athletics Federation of India said they chose Bartonietz partly because of his bio-mechanic background.
AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said they felt Bartonietz would be able to help Neeraj. During rehab post an elbow injury in 2019, the two got together.
Since then, they have been working closely.
“We had to bring in another coach and even Hohn recommended him,” he said.
“Sometimes you click and sometimes you don’t. Neeraj is doing well.”
India’s second thrower Shivpal Singh did not qualify. In the final, Neeraj would be looking to win India’s first ever medal in Olympcs.