India's Neeraj Chopra entered the annals of Indian athletics history after winning the Silver medal in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Sunday (July 24) morning. His medal in the Javelin Throw final brought an end to a 19-year drought at the Championships with a best throw of 88.13.
Taking gold was Anderson Peters of Grenada with a mighty throw of 90.54. Three of his throws crossed the 90m mark, way ahead of his counterparts. Jakub Vadlejch came third with a throw of 88. Meanwhile, India's other Javelin thrower Rohit Yadav had a best of 78.72m and was eliminated after the first three throws.
After his event, Neeraj caught up with Sports Tak for an exclusive interview…
Here are the excerpts:
How tough were the conditions in Oregon?
The conditions every day are a little tough. The wind was a little more today. On the qualification day, the mind is slightly relaxed as well. It was a good throw to qualify for the final. Today, the wind was something new that I had to face in the stadium. I did not start well, yes, but I was improving with every throw. On the fourth throw, I hurt my groin which is why I could not give my 100% for the final two throws.
The results, in relation to the conditions, were quite good. I got to learn a lot. A lot of throwers had their issues but Peters maintained his form very well and he threw very well.
How serious is your injury? Will it affect your CWG campaign?
Hopefully, it will be fine. I will only be able to know after the warm-up. I will do a check-up. If I need any treatment then I will try my best. Hopefully, it will be fine.
Do you feel that your performances are getting better than how you did at the Olympics?
There was very little time to prepare (after the Olympics) because we started training quite late. We worked very well on our technique, release angle, and strength. I tried to improve my fitness as much as I could. My throws have been consistent this season and I am happy about that.
Is it true that the World Athletics Championship is tougher than the Olympics?
This is very true because if you see the results of the World Championship, it is always more than the Olympics. For example, the Olympic record in Javelin is 90.57m and the World Championship record is 92.80m. The distance is always more in the World Championship and the reason for this is that this event happens every two years. And the pressure of the Olympics is not the same as the Athletics Championships. So the athletes are quite prepared for the same.
Watch the full interview here:
