World Athletics Championships: WCH Oregon 2022: As India prepares for its first “National Javelin Day” on August 7 to mark the anniversary of Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold medal, the athlete will hope to bring a maiden senior World Championships medal to the celebrations. But Neeraj, who has improved upon his throws in the last month, is aware of the competition at the World Championships. He feels there is a need to throw 89m plus to win a medal. Follow More World Athletics Championship updates on InsideSport.IN
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Chopra came up with an effort of 87.58 metres in Tokyo last year to become the first Indian to claim an individual Olympic gold in athletics. Now, Chopra heads into the worlds looking to break new ground. Chopra threw a personal best 89.30m at last month’s Paavo Nurmi Games before improving it to 89.94m at the Stockholm Diamond League.
World Athletics Championships LIVE: Neeraj Chopra is aware about top-notch competition at World Championships, says ‘it’ll take 89m plus throw to win in Eugene’
“I’m close to 90m,” said Chopra, who finished second in Stockholm behind Grenada’s reigning world champion Anderson Peters. “I know I can throw it this year.
“A lot of guys now are capable of throwing over 90m. It’ll take 89m plus to win in Eugene.”
Victory at Eugene, Oregon will mean Chopra will become the first men’s javelin thrower to follow an Olympic triumph with a world title since Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen in 2008-09.
Chopra said being the reigning Olympic champion would not heap the pressure on him ahead of the July 15-24 worlds.
World Athletics Championships LIVE: Neeraj Chopra is aware about top-notch competition at World Championships, says ‘it’ll take 89m plus throw to win in Eugene’
“Nothing of that sort should happen because I play with a free mind and perform to my potential,” he added. “There’s no pressure… I train well and give 100% in competition.”
Chopra’s chances have improved following the withdrawal of Johannes Vetter, who has the second-biggest throw of all time, after the German sustained a shoulder injury, while Peters is managing a back issue.
World Athletics Championships LIVE: Neeraj Chopra is aware about top-notch competition at World Championships, says ‘it’ll take 89m plus throw to win in Eugene’
Long jumper Anju Bobby George remains the only Indian to claim a worlds medal with a bronze in 2003, Chopra — dubbed by the nation’s media as the “man with the golden arm” — looks primed to continue his run of success.
At the Gold Coast in 2018, the former world junior champion became only the third man to win an athletics gold for India at the Commonwealth Games after sprinter Milkha Singh in 1958 and discus thrower Vikas Gowda in 2014.
He then added an Asian Games gold in Jakarta before becoming a household name with his Olympic win, which meant that he spent the second half of last year being feted by an adoring nation and only resumed training in December.
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