Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra declared he was determined to win at the Paris Olympic Games, which take place in France starting on July 26.
With a throw of 82.27 meters, the star javelin thrower easily won the gold medal in his first local tournament following his victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which were held in Japan in 2021.
According to the champion javelin thrower, “winning gold at the Olympics is more glorious than breaking the 90-meter barrier” on Wednesday. “I’m mentally, physically, and emotionally focused right now to make a big impression at the Paris Games, but I will definitely break that barrier (90 meters).”
“I thought Manu DP would provide strong competition. However, Manu DP was unable to establish a strong rhythm to reach 85 meters as the tournament went on, he clarified.
Karnataka’s Manu DP came in second. With a throw of 78.39 meters, Maharashtra’s Uttam Patil finished third.
With a throw of 75.49 meters, local hero and Asian Games medallist Kishore Kumar Jena came in fifth.
Another well-known thrower, Shivpal Singh, was eliminated in the first round. The medal round was only accessible to the top eight.
Neeraj Chopra started the 2024 season at the Doha Diamond League, finishing in second place with 88.36 meters.
He will compete in Europe following this domestic championship in Bhubaneswar in order to get ready for the Olympic Games in Paris.
He has drawn up his strategies in advance of the Olympic Games. He will compete in June in Turku, Finland, and on May 28 in Ostrava, the Czech Republic. He will then evaluate his level of fitness. He revealed, “I’ll wait to see how my body and mind respond to elite competitions before taking a call.”
In 2022, Neeraj Chopra set a new national record of 89.94 meters, which was also his personal best. The world champion thrower claimed he was training hard and should be able to throw over 90 meters on a good day. He clarified, “I prefer to win and not think of distance.”
Neeraj Chopra, dubbed the “golden boy” of Indian track and field, was thrilled to see young people attending sporting events at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. “Seeing so many fans and followers at the stadium makes me happy.”