Neeraj Chopra reveals his plans for competition after Olympics, says ‘I have decided to participate in Olympics’
Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is gearing up for his upcoming competitions after the Paris Olympics 2024, where he won a silver medal. Neeraj finished second to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in the final with a throw of 89.45m, well behind Nadeem’s mark of 92.97m.
After the Olympic final, Neeraj said after the Olympics that he needed to stay injury-free to fully focus on his throws. Later reports claimed that the javelin thrower has flown to Germany and will consult a doctor for possible surgery. But the 2020 Olympic champion has said that he is feeling better and will participate in the next Diamond League in Lausanne.
Speaking to the media at a press conference, Chopra said, “Earlier I was thinking of participating in the Zurich Diamond League and then the league finals. But luckily after Paris the injury is not that serious. I have undergone some treatment. I would like to thank Ishan bhai for helping me with my injuries.”
“He (Ishan) worked on me after the Olympics. Now I have also decided to participate in the Lausanne Diamond League, which starts on August 22,” he said.
He said that he will talk to his doctors after the season ends and will probably return to India in September. Neeraj said, “I will talk to my doctors after the season ends. There is one month left for the season and I will talk to them after that. I will return to India at the end of September.”
The javelin thrower had opened up about his injury even after the Olympic Games. “Whenever I throw, 60-70 per cent of the focus is on the injury. Today my runway was not good, my speed was also low. Whatever I did, I did with this problem. I did not have time for surgery. I was just pushing myself,” Chopra said after the Olympic final.
He said, “I still have a lot left in me. I have to do that. I think I can do it. I won’t be at peace until I achieve that.”