Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games on Tuesday after throwing 85.97 meters on his third try. However, he did not waste any time in disclosing the adductor strain that has been bothering him all season.
Chopra, who created history by being the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in track and field in Tokyo, disclosed that he continues to struggle with his adductor problem and that he plans to see multiple doctors in order to solve the recurring condition following the Olympics in Paris.
“The weather was good today, a little bit cold with the wind. But I am happy with my adductor now because I could do all six throws,” Chopra said after his win. “Every year I have some problems with my adductor, maybe after the Olympics, I am going to talk to different doctors.”
Chopra stated a great desire to participate in more competitions this season despite the recurring adductor concerns. In May, he competed in the Doha Diamond League and placed second with a ninth-best career final throw of 88.36 meters. Subsequently, but with a very poor effort of 82.27m, a gold medal was won at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. “Initially, I wanted to compete more this season, but it was not possible due to my niggles,” Chopra stated.
Following his success at the Paavo Nurmi Games, On July 7, Chopra is scheduled to compete at the Paris Diamond League. Together with his coach Klaus Bartonietz and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha, he is training at three different locations throughout Europe in preparation for the Olympics in Paris.
He started training in Kuortane, Finland, and will next go to Saarbrucken, Germany, before finishing his last training camp from July 28 to July 31 at the Gloria Sports Arena in Turkey.
“I came from Kuortane and will now head to Saarbrucken, Germany, and maybe to Turkey just before the Olympics. Most of the time I train alone with my coach and physio, but from time to time we exchange information with other coaches, like Jan Zelezny. I will try to stay healthy in the next weeks because then I will throw my best throws,” Chopra elaborated.