CHENNAI: AT the Tokyo World Championships in 2025, the same place where he won his Olympic gold in 2021, Neeraj Chopra just about managed to finish eighth. A position he was not at all proud of. A back injury sustained days before the event was what the champion thrower said had caused the decline. This was the first time he has slipped below the top two places after four years .
The season, though, had started with great promise. A new coach, Jan Zelezny, world record holder and an exponent of throwing above 90m, was roped in. The very first competition of the season, at the Doha Diamond League last May, Neeraj crossed that elusive and magical figure – 90m – with ease. It resonated through the world of athletics and a year of promise was predicted.
Though Neeraj did manage to finish in top two, he did not have those consistent 88-89m throws. He had already complained of a groin injury after finishing second behind Arshad Nadeem a the Paris Olympics. And he parted ways with Klaus Bartonietz after Paris. Zelezny was good but somehow it was not reflecting in Neeraj’s throws.
One also has to understand that his relationship with the previous coach – Klaus – was different. He was comfortable training with him even when he was injured in 2019 and with the bio-mechanic specialists' temperament was complimenting Neeraj's. And their endeavour was about finding the right strides and throwing with minimum fuss. The 90m mark was never the obsession.
After days of speculations, Neeraj and Zelezny officially parted ways. This was announced through a statement days after Neeraj said he was parting ways with his long-standing sponsors JSW. Though this was expected, Neeraj said it was “working with Jan opened my eyes to so many new ideas. The way he thinks about technique, rhythm, and movement is incredible, and I learned a lot from every single session we had together.”
Zelezny also reflected warmly on the partnership and the progress they made together: “Working with an athlete like Neeraj was a great experience. I'm glad we met and were able to work together, that I got him to break the 90 metre barrier for the first time…”
What would be interesting is to see whether Neeraj finds a new coach or goes back to someone he has already worked with. It is no secret that he was comfortable with Klaus but the German does not want to spend too much time away from home. He told this daily that he would not want to travel as much at his age (of 75). He may be consulted but will not work in a full-time role. He is also working in Portugal. And also working with JSW.
Neeraj has hinted on taking "his own coaching direction". He said as much in the statement that having worked with some of the sport’s finest coaches, he now feels ready to apply what worked best from each of them. At this stage of his career, he trusts his understanding of his body and his throwing more than ever before.
“I’m looking forward to what 2026 has in store," Neeraj said. "I started my preparation in early November. As always, the goal is to stay healthy, and I am already excited to be competing again soon.”
With Asian and Commonwealth Games lined up this season, Neeraj would be looking to find an answer soon. The World Athletics Championships next year and the Olympics in 2028 would be his biggest targets.