The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has selected former World Champion and two-time Olympic bronze medallist Sergey Makarov as the potential coach for Indian javelin throwers. The decision, however, is awaiting approval from the Sports Authority of India (SAI), according to SportsStar.
The move to appoint a new coach follows Dr Klaus Bartonietz’s decision to step down after guiding Neeraj Chopra through an exceptional period of his career, which included overcoming significant injuries to win World Championship medals and Olympic gold.
Makarov to coach all Indian javelin throwers
Unlike Bartonietz, who eventually worked exclusively with Neeraj, Makarov is expected to coach all of India’s javelin athletes. AFI’s chief coach, Radhakrishnan Nair, clarified that there’s no specific coach assigned for Neeraj Chopra at the moment.
Makarov’s impressive record
Makarov brings substantial expertise, having secured bronze medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He also clinched the World Championship title in 2003 and another bronze in 2005. His personal best of 92.61m ranks him eighth in javelin’s all-time best performances.
Neeraj’s coaching future remains undecided
It’s yet unclear whether Neeraj will choose to work with Makarov or seek a personal coach, as Bartonietz had initially started working with multiple athletes before transitioning to exclusively coaching Neeraj in 2020.
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