I’m in best possible shape, never felt so good before: Neeraj Chopra ahead of Paris Olympics

World and Tokyo Olympics champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who will be training in Turkey from this week before returning to outdoor competition for the first time in 2024, said he was in “top physical shape” and “has never felt so good before.” 

The build-up to the Tokyo Games was challenging for the 26-year-old Chopra, who had missed an entire season due to injuries.

“I want to be in the best possible shape before Paris,” Chopra, who is on a short break after his training stint in South Africa, told SAI media.

“My training sessions have gone off well so far. I always lay stress on fitness along with strength and technique.

“This is the best I have felt in a long time, but I must add that training and competition are not the same. When you wear the India jersey, the feeling is different, the  josh (energy) is unbelievable,” Chopra added.

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He also stated that the time after his Tokyo Olympics success was “very different”.

Chopra said his performance thereafter indicated that his preparation for global tournaments was going in the right direction.

“I have won medals in two World Championships, threw my personal best (89.94 metres at Stockholm), won a dream Diamond League title and even defended my gold at the Asian Games,” he said.

“All in all, I have been in great space and want to carry forward that momentum from May onwards.” On the elusive 90-metre magical mark, Chopra once again reiterated that “distance doesn’t matter to him.” 

German youngster Max Dehning recently threw the javelin to a distance of 90.20 metres at a German winter meet.

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But Chopra said it “did not add any pressure” but only indicated that the level of competition this year will be stiff.

“What matters to me is staying 100 per cent fit, being consistent during the season and delivering on the day that matters,” he said.

“I think there are mistakes to fix, and looking at the increasing competition all around, one has to keep improving.

“The road will close if you think you have done it all,” Chopra added.