Don’t want to put any pressure on myself for 90m: Neeraj Chopra

Fresh from clinching the top spot at the Paris leg of Diamond League, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra is gearing up for Tuesday’s Golden Spike meet in Ostrava. Despite his recent success and strong form, the star javelin thrower emphasised that he is not letting expectations weigh him down.

“I feel good, but I don’t want to put any pressure on myself for 90m. But I’ll try really hard. I’ve already thrown 90m this year after a little bit more improvement in technique. So let’s see when it comes next time, but I am ready,” Chopra said.

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The 27-year-old javelin superstar, who hurled the spear to a distance of 88.16m in Paris to better German Julian Weber, is focusing more on technical refinement than chasing numbers every meet. “Recently we’ve done a good training in Nymburk (Czech Republic), so I’ll do my best here in Ostrava,” he added.

Part of Chopra’s excitement at competing in Ostrava stems from childhood memories. “When I was a kid, I watched a lot of videos and photos of athletes like Usain Bolt competing here. I came last year but I didn’t compete because of injury,” he recalled.

His primary focus, though, remains the World Championships in Tokyo from September 13 to 21 — where he hopes to add to his gold from the previous edition. “Main goal for the season is obviously World Championships in Tokyo,” said Chopra.

The Haryana athlete is also looking forward to a milestone moment on home soil — the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on July 5.

“This will be my first really serious competition in India with international athletes. I still have to manage a lot of things before competition, but it will be a good experience,” he said.

“Now it would not be good if I say no to people. And I’m happy that now in India people recognise other sports than cricket.”

Working with Czech legend Jan Zelezny, the three-time Olympic gold medallist and world record holder, has been a major boost. “I am really happy to work with such a great athlete and coach,” Chopra said. The growing popularity of their partnership hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“When I competed at Diamond League in Doha, there were a lot of Indian people who wanted to take pictures with Jan. And they are sometimes… you know… very intense. So I was a bit worried about him. But he left for the hotel quickly,” he laughed.

Zelezny, for his part, is pleased with the progress. “I am happy about the situation. It’s important for javelin and throws in general, as athletics is not only about sprints,” the Czech great said. “Neeraj opened the doors to other countries, it’s great for our sport.”