ATHLETICS | Smaller steps, stronger block, straighter throws: The S’s Neeraj Chopra is working on for success

Fresh from the success of NC Classic on and off the field, Neeraj Chopra is all set to fly out for a 57-day training-cum-competition camp in the Czech Republic ahead of the World Championships in September later tonight. 

Having worked with Czech javelin throw legend Jan Zelezny for a while now, Neeraj is looking to iron out long-standing issues in his quest to defend his title in Tokyo. “My biggest issue for a long time has been drifting to the left during throws. We are working a lot on it. And we are working on the run-up.

“I am trying to go faster, stay on my toes as much as possible and maintain or increase the speed during cross-step to keep the flow smooth. We are also working on the leg block, but it’s something you need to learn as a kid, unlearning and re-learning is not easy at this stage. 

“Things are going very well in training but somehow, during competitions, there is a mix of the old and new; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Thankfully, the groin is feeling fine this time. We are also doing smaller, faster steps to avoid stretching the muscle,” he explained.

In town for a promotional event with Under Armour that saw four more Indians signing up with the brand — decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, sprinter Jay Shah and fencers Jyotika Dutta and Rishika Khajuria — Neeraj was satisfied with the success of the NC Classic.

“I didn’t know how it would be. There was pressure because my name is associated. From food to welcoming the athletes, I wanted everyone to get the best. During the competition, sometimes the javelins were being retrieved slowly so I asked them to get it manually but quickly.

“These are things I also feel as an athlete elsewhere, but then the mindset is different so we don’t think about it. Here, it was like hosting someone at your home. It had to be perfect.

“But almost 15,000 plus people turned up and, more importantly, they were supporting all the athletes, not just me. That made me proud,” he said.

“My family had come to Bangalore, they saw me in action for the first time. My mother was crying when I fell during the first throw, my sisters were also emotional to see me compete. My grandfather, over 75 years old now, experienced his first flight. It felt special,” he smiled.

Having won everything possible in his sport, Neeraj is now focussed on smaller targets, one at a time, consistently, including the streak of top-two finishes. “My target is to keep it consistent. I think, as an athlete, I like consistency. But now it has been going on for so long, some things just happen without actually thinking about them.

“Normally, it’s just the results, no one notices these things, but now this has also become one of the mini-targets. Zelezny has 33 and I am on 25. He always performed in big competitions.

“I am trying to understand his mindset, which I think will help me. We are far from the World Record but closer to this one, we will try to reach this,” he laughed.