Neeraj Chopra in action at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© AFP / Getty Images)
In celebration of the birthday of India’s Neeraj Chopra – one of three Paris Olympic medallists who recently donated their 2024 Games competition clothing to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA), we recount his recent decision to appoint a new coach in search of the so far elusive 90-metre barrier.
In the qualifying round for the men’s javelin at the 2024 Olympic Games, Chopra propelled himself a little nearer towards the all-time greatest in his event.
With a throw of 89.34m, the Indian golden boy who honed his technique by studying Jan Zelezny on YouTube was just five centimetres shy of the best ever mark in Olympic qualifying, set by the great Czech thrower in Sydney in 2000.
Chopra, the defending Olympic champion and holder of the world title, was on course to follow in the spear-marks of his boyhood hero as a multiple winner of the Olympic men’s javelin crown.
Or so it seemed… until Arshad Nadeem unleashed his mighty bolt from the blue when it came to the final in the Stade de France.
Wearing the Indian team t-shirt which he kindly chose to donate to the MOWA, Chopra must have felt like Nadeem’s second-round throw had landed smack in his solar plexus.
The world silver medallist from Pakistan unleashed a monster effort of 92.97m – a huge improvement on the 90.18m that earned him Commonwealth gold in Birmingham in 2022, and on Andreas Thorkildsen’s 2008 Olympic record of 90.57m.
Incongruously, Chopra had never before ventured beyond the magical javelin Rubicon of 90 metres.
The 26-year-old suddenly knew he had to throw way beyond his best – his tantalising 89.94m at the 2022 Stockholm Diamond League – to retain the Olympic title he claimed in Tokyo in 2021, and to secure a third global title in four seasons.
In Budapest in 2023, Chopra landed his country’s first gold medal in the 40-year history of the World Athletics Championships, resisting the emerging challenge of Nadeem, whose silver represented Pakistan’s first medal of any colour.
Having fluffed his opening-round effort in the Paris final, Chopra responded with 89.45m, the second-best throw of his career at that point.
Hindered by a niggling hamstring problem, he proceeded to foul his remaining four attempts. He had to settle for the second best of Olympic silver.
Neeraj Chopra, Arshad Nadeem and Anderson Peters on the javelin podium in Paris (© AFP / Getty Images)
The sporting rivalry between India and Pakistan might be on the fierce side of intense in the cricketing arena but, happily, Chopra and Nadeem enjoy a healthy, respectful friendship.
“Today’s competition was really great,” a magnanimous Chopra reflected. “Arshad threw really well. Congratulations to him and his country.
“On my second throw, I believed in myself to think I could also throw that far. But, in javelin, if your run up is not so good, you can’t go very far.”
Zelezny – from YouTube to personal coach
In an effort to go farther in future – to become the 25th member of the 90-metre club, and to successfully defend his title at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 – Chopra announced on 9 November that he has appointed Zelezny as his coach.
"Growing up, I admired Jan's technique and precision and spent a lot of time watching videos of him," said Chopra.
"He was the best in the sport for so many years, and I believe that working with him will be invaluable because our throwing styles are similar and his knowledge is unmatched.
"It's an honour to have Jan by my side as I push towards the next level in my career, and I can't wait to get started."
Zelezny, of course, achieved a different level in his javelin career: three Olympic titles, three world titles and holder of the world record, at 98.48m, since 1996.
He has also been responsible for 34 of the 127 throws of 90m-plus that have been accomplished thus far by 24 men.
“I like Neeraj’s story,” said Zelezny. “I see big potential, as he is young and able to improve."
Chopra turns 27 on 24 December. Nadeem will be 28 on 2 January.
The Olympic final in Paris was the first time in 11 encounters that the elder managed to get the better of the younger.
In a rivalry dating back to the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati, where Chopra took gold with a PB of 82.33m and Nadeem bronze with 78.33m, the Pakistani had never ventured within two metres of the Indian until the 2022 world final.
Neeraj Chopra at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (© Getty Images)
At global level, they first met in the qualifying round at the 2016 World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Chopra topping the pile with 78.20m and Nadeem exiting the competition in 15th place with 67.17m.
At the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, Chopra threw 87.78m for the gold medal. Nadeem finished fifth with 84.62m.
In the final of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, Chopra finished runner-up to Grenada’s Anderson Peters, throwing 88.13m. Nadeem was again fifth, with 86.16m.
That gap of 97cm was whittled down to 25cm at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Chopra’s best of 88.17m edging the gold ahead of Nadeem’s 87.82m.
The difference in the 2024 Olympic final was 3.52m in Nadeem’s favour.
The gauntlet has been laid down in the great global joust for men’s javelin supremacy.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
