Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra has revealed that an advice to “stay relaxed” from his Kenyan counterpart Julius Yego proved decisively helpful in calming his racing mind before he pulled off a season’s best effort to finish second in the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 26-year-old was at the fourth spot at the end of the fourth round before managing a throw of 85.58m in his fifth attempt that kept him inside the top three. His final attempt of 89.49m on Thursday helped him finish second behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters (90.61m).
The performance was a marginal improvement on the 89.45m he achieved in the Paris Olympics a few days ago. Only the top three after five rounds can make the final attempt.
“(Anderson) Peters threw 90m, my body didn’t feel good but the fighting spirit was nice today. I really liked my comeback. In the last throw I didn’t think too much, just gave my best,” Chopra told the host broadcaster in the mixed zone.
“In the first throw, I thought I will do this, I will do that but in the last throw, I did not, also Julius Yego said ‘relax, you will throw far’. I tried to relax,” he added.
Yego finished sixth with an effort of 83m.
Chopra said the competition on the day was “strange” as he did not feel he was up to it when he started.
“…in the beginning I did not think I would throw very far but in the end it was good,” he said.
Asked how much more would he compete this season, the Indian said, “May be two or one competition and then finish the season. I am not sure, may be Brussels (Diamond League finale).” With seven points from Thursday’s second-place finish, Chopra is joint third alongside Weber in Diamond League standings with 15 points. Peters jumped to top spot with 21 points.
Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who finished seventh (82.03m) on Thursday, is in second spot with 16 points.
This season’s DL finals will be held in Brussels on September 14. He needs to finish in the top-six of the series standings to qualify for the finale.
Nursing a long-standing groin injury, Chopra claimed a silver in the Paris Olympics on August 8 adding to his historic gold in the Tokyo edition of the Games three years ago.
On his goals for next year, Chopra said getting back to full fitness would be his priority.
“First goal, go to the doctor and make my groin 100 per cent fit and also I will be technically better and try to throw far again,” he signed off.
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